This week, a Warner Bros. representative said “In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong bids that were fair to both parties. Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it,” Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that it will use its matching rights for a set of NBA games that were originally meant for Amazon Prime Video. This move is part of the company’s plan to keep its long-term relationship with the NBA. Even though Warner Bros. Discovery made competitive bids in both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiations, the NBA has shown a preference for other offers. This has led Warner Bros. Discovery to activate its matching rights in their current contract. By matching one of these offers, the company aims to keep offering top-notch game coverage and studio shows, continuing its 40-year history of NBA broadcasting.
The NBA is now reviewing Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer. According to their expiring contract, Warner Bros. Discovery has the right to match offers for games shown on TNT. A key question is whether these matching rights cover an all-streaming package like the one assigned to Amazon. Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform, Max, might carry these games. However, Amazon Prime Video’s much larger global subscriber base and its nearly $2 trillion market value could make it more attractive to the NBA.
If the NBA decides not to accept Warner Bros. Discovery’s matching rights for the Amazon package, the next steps are uncertain. Possible outcomes include legal action from Warner Bros. Discovery or a settlement with the NBA. The NBA’s existing deals with Disney and Comcast’s NBCUniversal, both valued at over $150 billion, make adding a fourth game package less likely. These partners are paying more for fewer games compared to the current Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Amazon’s offer, valued at $1.8 billion annually, is a less costly target for Warner Bros. Discovery, which is still deciding whether to include NBA games in its basic or premium Max tiers. The NBA is careful about overcomplicating its offerings to avoid confusing consumers and increasing subscription demands.
Comments