Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports issued a strong statement following the NBA‘s confirmation of a new streaming deal with Amazon. The new deal will see Prime Video replace TNT as the home of a number of NBA games, beginning with the 2025-26 season.
TNT Sports believes the NBA has no right to reject its proposal, claiming the offer matched Amazon’s proposal. The statement goes on to state that the NBA “grossly misinterpreted” its contractual rights and “appropriate action” will now be taken.
TNT Sports statement in full:
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it. In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms — including TNT, home to our four-decade partnership with the league, and Max, our leading streaming service. We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action. We look forward, however, to another great season of the NBA on TNT and Max, including our iconic Inside the NBA.”
In its own statement issued today, the NBA says the proposal offered by Warner Bros. Discovery did not match the Amazon Prime Video proposal, leading to the deal being agreed with Amazon.
NBA statement in full:
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon.
Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.
We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT.”
Based on the statement, it would seem that the reach of Amazon played a major role in striking the new deal, implying the streaming-only nature of Prime Video ultimately proved more appealing, and especially when taking into consideration the deals the NBA agreed with Disney and NBCUniversal.
As to what happens now, including whether the ‘appropriate action‘ TNT plans to take will ultimately result in a legal battle, remains to be seen.
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