Warner Bros. Discovery & NBA Announce Pact

Warner Bros. Discovery has ended its legal spat with the National Basketball Association, announcing a new 11-year partnership.

Under the terms of the new deal, TNT Sports and its portfolio of brands will receive a global license to create, produce and distribute new and existing NBA content across its platforms.

A partnership between WBD and ESPN means TNT Sports can continue to create and produce Inside the NBA, with the studio show being distributed on ESPN and ABC beginning with the 2025-26 season. TNT Sports will also continue to develop new content featuring TNT’s Inside the NBA studio talent. Further, TNT Sports will now televise Big 12 football (13 games each season) and men’s basketball (15 games each season) starting with the 2025 season.

WBD has also secured live NBA game telecast rights in the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Poland and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico) for the next 11 years.

“Together these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s Inside the NBA and create tremendous value for our entire portfolio as we accelerate the growth of TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and our global sports business,” said David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. “We are pleased to partner with the NBA and Disney/ESPN, and to have solidified long-term rights and revenue for WBD.”

“The opportunity to continue the iconic and Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across key WBD and NBA platforms.”

WBD and the NBA will look to accelerate the global growth of Bleacher Report and House of Highlights through a new global license that includes expansive content and highlight rights, as well as game access to produce NBA-related content. Bleacher Report and House of Highlights will receive promotion across NBA assets, and the NBA will feature basketball-related content produced by B/R, HoH and TNT Sports across its digital products.

The NBA Digital partnership between the NBA and TNT Sports has been extended across five seasons, with the NBA engaging WBD to provide promotion, production, content development and sales operations services. WBD will also serve as a strategic partner for NBA League Pass and advertising for NBA properties and initiatives will run on WBD linear channels and digital platforms.