Warner Bros. Discovery has taken legal action against the NBA after the league turned down its attempt to match a rights offer from Amazon Prime Video. The lawsuit, filed under seal on Friday morning, challenges the NBA’s decision to sell a package of broadcasting rights to Amazon.
The media company argues that the NBA unjustly rejected its matching offer, which was part of its previous contract terms. Warner Bros. Discovery believes this is not only a breach of their contractual rights but also not in the best interest of fans who enjoy NBA content on its platforms like TNT and Max.
On Wednesday, the NBA announced new TV and streaming deals with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon. Warner Bros. Discovery, which had the right to match competing offers, had sought to match Amazon’s deal. However, the NBA informed Warner Bros. Discovery that their proposal did not meet the terms of Amazon’s offer.
Warner Bros. Discovery claims that the NBA misinterpreted the contractual terms for the 2025-26 season and beyond. This legal action harks back to a similar case from 1973, when ABC Sports chief Roone Arledge sued the NBA over a deal with CBS, a battle known as “Roone’s Revenge.”
The lawsuit underscores the ongoing tension over sports broadcasting rights and the competition among media giants to secure valuable content.
