The NBA and TNT Sports are reportedly discussing a settlement to end the network’s lawsuit against the league.
Per a report in Front Office Sports on Wednesday, rumors are circulating that the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, are in settlement talks to end litigation regarding the network’s matching rights. The NBA is set to begin its new set of media rights deals next season with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon.
After failing to reach a deal with the NBA this summer, TNT chose to exercise the back-end rights in its current contract with the league against Amazon’s new deal. At the time, the move to pursue litigation was widely seen as a means of extracting a financial settlement from the league rather than an earnest attempt to retain NBA rights.
“I know [both sides] want to solve this,” said one source talking to FOS. “It has to be soon. They don’t want to let it drag on,” added another source.
While it’s likely the settlement will be financial in nature, FOS left open the possibility that TNT could be awarded a fourth rights package, though it’s unclear where exactly this inventory would come from with the vast majority of games already tied up with three other partners.
As mentioned in the report, a settlement now would avoid “a lengthy and expensive trial in 2025,” that could get dangerously close to the start of next season. The uncertainty of such a lawsuit would prove an additional challenge for the NBA’s new media partners as they attempt to assemble a cast and crew for their broadcasts.
Of course, a settlement would also prevent a potential discovery process where unflattering internal materials could be made public.
The next hearing scheduled in the case is for November 22nd, where Judge Joel M. Cohen will assess whether certain filings should be kept under seal. Then, Judge Cohen will hear the NBA’s motion to dismiss the case on December 17th.
That is, of course, if a settlement isn’t reached beforehand.
