Warner Bros. files lawsuit against NBA for media rights agreement

Warner Bros. Discovery has taken legal action against the NBA in New York Supreme Court on Friday after losing media rights to Amazon.

According to documents obtained by ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, claims that the NBA breached their contract by rejecting their offer for a new media rights deal and instead signing with Amazon.

In a statement released on Friday, TNT Sports stated, "Given the NBA's unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer, we have taken legal action to enforce our rights. We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right, but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed WBD video-first distribution platforms - including TNT and Max."

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NBA spokesman Mike Bass responded to WBD's claims in a statement, saying, "WBD's claims are without merit, and our lawyers will address them."

WBD's lawsuit comes just two days after the NBA announced an 11-year media rights deal worth nearly $76 billion with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. This deal will run from the 2025-26 season through the 2035-36 season.

On Monday, WBD stated that they had matched Amazon's offer of $1.8 billion per year, which is an increase from the $1.4 billion they are currently paying on a nine-year deal that ends after the 2024-25 season.

The NBA's decision to decline WBD's offer means the end of a partnership that has lasted almost four decades, beginning in the 1984-85 season.