Losing The NBA Would Be A Nightmare Scenario For Warner Bros. Discovery

The NBA will soon be negotiating new media and TV deals and while they have had a long-standing relationship with the league for quite a while, Warner Bros. Discovery may walk away from the NBA.

The NBA currently has media deals with Disney's ESPN/ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT that are set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

As a result, the next media deals are a key topic of discussion for the NBA right now and the league is prepared to receive numerous offers. The NBA is in a good spot right now and they will be making a lot of money regardless of what Warner Bros. Discovery decides to do.

Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery re-signed Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith to new multi-year deals to host TNT’s “Inside The NBA,” yet CEO David Zaslav is sending mixed signals as to if the company will continue its partnership with the NBA.

The NBA on TNT has been a staple of American sports for years, but with Amazon and others now stepping up and showing a willingness to pay heavy amounts in order to receive the exclusive rights to air live sporting events, Warner Bros. Discovery may wind up taking a major step back.

On Tuesday at an investor conference held by RBC, Zaslav stated that the company does not “have to have the NBA,” and that a new deal would have to “be a deal for the future,” instead of one “for the past.”

Zaslav also made it clear that Warner Bros. Discovery has favorable deals for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, NHL and Major League Baseball Postseason, which prompted him to state that they do not need to have the NBA.

Should Zaslav decide to part ways with the NBA, this would be one of the worst decisions a company has ever made in regards to media deals pertaining to a sports league.

The NBA’s partnership with Turner Sports, which is now Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, has lasted longer than three decades now, but this could all be ruined by a rash and utter mindless decision by those higher up in the company.

Perhaps Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery should take a page out of Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s book, as Chapek stated he would “would love to be in business with the NBA” as long as a pact could be structured in a “fiscally responsible way” with multiplatform rights, this according to Variety.

Not only does Warner currently show NBA games on TNT, but they also currently operate the league’s digital platforms, including NBA TV, NBA.com and NBA League Pass.

Who knows what will happen or what will change in negotiations over the course of the next few months and years, but this is not a good look for Warner/Discovery whatsoever.

The NFL recently struck a deal with Disney, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Fox and Amazon for over $110 billion over the course of 11 years. There are plenty of suitors out there for the NBA to partner with on new media deals and if Warner Bros. Discovery is non-commital, the NBA likely will not wait around for them.

Amazon will be more than happy to strike a deal with the NBA and if the league was to turn their heads to Warner, it could be catastrophic for Zaslav and the new deals his company struck with TNT’s basketball analysts in Barkely, Smith and Johnson.

David Zaslav has not been afraid from making budget cuts since Warner Bros. and Discovery merged in 2021, but cutting the NBA out of his long-term plan for the company would be the worst move he has ever made. 

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