Warner Bros. Discovery is in negotiations with the NBA about the possibility of a fourth media right package, sources tell Michael McCarthy of FrontOffice Sports.
ESPN, Amazon and NBC would be the three media partners of the NBA under the currently proposed deals.
WBD has match rights as an incumbent partner, which is believed to be complicating the NBA’s intent to move forward with the other companies.
WBD is discussing keeping the NBA on TNT on a smaller less-expensive package that could include regular season and some playoff games.
The NBA could also take a package of locally televised games from teams and turn them into national games for TNT, according to Puck.
A smaller package could ensure the survival of “Inside the NBA.”
When CEO David Zaslav began negotiations with the NBA during WBD’s exclusive window, he expected to pay between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion to retain the “B” package and refused to go to $2.4 billion. This allowed NBC to enter talks with a $2.6 billion offer that was virtually impossible for WBD to match.
