WBD to settle NBA broadcast rights suit, move ‘Inside the NBA’ to ESPN and ABC

By CNN Newsource

Published November 16, 2024 9:14 pm

By Liam Reilly, CNN

New York (CNN) — Warner Bros. Discovery will settle its lawsuit against the NBA and announce it has struck a deal with Disney to exclusively license its beloved TNT show “Inside the NBA” starting next season, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.

WBD filed the lawsuit against the NBA in July after the league signed new broadcast rights deals with Disney, Amazon and NBC collectively worth $76 billion. WBD, the parent company of CNN, alleged that the media giant had a contractual right to match any offers that came before the league but that its bid had been rejected.

Under the terms of the settlement expected to be announced Monday, the 2024-25 NBA season will be the last on the TNT cable network, but the NBA will allow WBD to use its content for the next decade to create a variety of programs, including talk and variety shows or docuseries.

WBD will also receive the rights to broadcast live NBA games in northern Europe and Latin America for the next 11 years, the person said. WBD’s online outlets, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, will also have global rights to the league’s content.

The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. WBD declined to comment for this story. The NBA could not immediately be reached for comment.

WBD is also expected to announce it has signed a multi-year licensing deal with Disney, the person familiar with the matter said. Under the agreement, “Inside the NBA” will air exclusively on ESPN and ABC starting next season.

The show will still be produced by TNT Sports and existing contracts with the hosts — Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal — will remain valid, the person said. WBD also plans to develop a sports spin-off of the “Inside the NBA” program, they said.

As streaming services like Netflix have continued to attract and further carve up audiences, live sporting events have continuously proved impervious to declines in viewership felt across traditional television.

As part of its deal with Disney, TNT Sports will receive a slate of college football rights to Big 12 conference and men’s basketball games that WBD can air on TNT and its Max streaming service. Earlier this year, WBD inked a five-year deal with ESPN to air College Football Playoff games this season and two additional quarterfinal matchups beginning in 2026, adding to the company’s live sports offerings.