Warner Bros. Discovery has accepted a settlement in its breach of contract lawsuit against the NBA. The case, we remember, was filed last July after the company was excluded from the new agreement on the broadcasting rights of the league. Under the agreement expected to be announced in the coming days, Warner Bros. Discovery will be able to produce shows with NBA content for at least the next decade, according to an article by Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal. The company can broadcast these shows in the United States and parts of Northern Europe and Latin America, excluding Mexico and Brazil. The desire of Warner Bros. Discovery will still be with the league after losing the rights to broadcast regular season and playoff games is an indication of how valuable the NBA is considered in the cable and streaming markets, Flint added.
The NBA’s new media deal, worth nearly $80 billion over the next 11 years, gives broadcast rights to ESPN, NBCUniversal and Amazon.com. In its lawsuit, Warner Bros. Discovery claims the NBA violated a matching rights clause with TNT in favor of a new deal with Amazon Prime Video. The agreement has a duration of 11 years, the same as other operators. It allows the digital platforms of Warner Bros. Discovery, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, to continue access to NBA content. The company is also allowed to continue managing the league’s digital operations, including NBA TV. Warner Bros. Discovery has reached a deal with Disney to license “Inside the NBA” to ESPN and ABC starting next season. The show starring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson became a very popular part of TNT’s coverage. Flint did not specify whether the hosts would switch networks as part of the deal.