The NBA has filed a motion to dismiss Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit, challenging the league’s decision to reject its proposal and finalize media rights deals with Amazon, Disney, and NBCUniversal. Warner Bros.
Discovery and Turner Broadcasting have claimed that the NBA breached its agreement by not honoring TBS’s matching rights and accused the league of structuring Amazon’s $1.8 billion annual deal to undermine TBS’s ability to match it. Warner alleges that the NBA intentionally altered the structure of the offer to prevent TBS from matching it correctly.
The NBA argues that TBS’s matching rights are confined to third-party offers related to linear cable television distribution, not standalone internet streaming services like Amazon’s offer. The league asserts that TBS’s proposal involved significant changes to the original terms, which constituted a counteroffer rather than a true match.
The NBA highlights discrepancies such as differences in payment protections, minimum reach commitments, and promotional obligations. A spokesperson for TNT Sports defended TBS’s position, asserting that their matching attempt was valid and in the best interest of fans. This legal battle unfolds amid Warner Bros. Discovery’s financial challenges, including a recent $9.1 billion write-down linked partly to sports rights renewals.
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