Warner Bros. Discovery files legal lawsuit against NBA over media rights dispute
Date
7/27/2024 1:01:52 PM
(MENAFN) On Friday, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) took legal action against the National Basketball Association (NBA) in response to the league's recent media rights deals with other broadcasters. The dispute centers around WBD's claim that the NBA unfairly rejected their attempt to match a third-party offer. TNT Sports, the sports television and broadcast division owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, issued a statement asserting that their legal move is not only a matter of upholding their contractual rights but also about ensuring fans continue to enjoy NBA coverage through their extensive platforms, including TNT and Max.
The controversy began when the NBA dismissed Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer of USD1.8 billion per year and announced on Wednesday that it had finalized an 11-year media rights agreement with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video. This new arrangement is expected to bring the league around USD76 billion over the course of the deal. Warner Bros. Discovery argues that they matched Amazon's bid but were nonetheless rejected by the NBA. The company’s lawsuit, filed in a New York court, seeks to either block the NBA from awarding the media rights to Amazon or to secure financial compensation.
In reaction to the lawsuit, NBA spokesman Mike Bass stated that Warner Bros. Discovery’s claims are baseless and that their legal team is prepared to address them. Meanwhile, Charles Barkley, a Hall of Fame player and current television analyst for both TNT and CBS Sports, suggested that the NBA had been inclined to move away from TNT from the start, implying that the network might have been disadvantaged from the beginning.
MENAFN27072024000045015839ID1108489159
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.