Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.US) and the NBA have reportedly reached a settlement regarding broadcasting rights.
1min read Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.US) and the NBA have agreed to settle their legal dispute over television rights, according to people familiar with the matter.
The agreement reportedly allows Warner Bros. Discovery to develop new league content shows in the U.S. and abroad, as well as NBA international rights in Northern Europe and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico).
An announcement is expected later this week, according to reports.
The settlement will allow Warner Bros. Discovery to gain access to a large amount of NBA content overseas and domestically, while the league avoids ongoing legal disputes, the people said.
Warner Bros. Discovery sued the league this summer after it signed an $11bn, 11-year rights deal with ESPN, which is owned by Disney (DIS.US), NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast (CMCSA.US), and Amazon (AMZN.US). Warner Bros. Discovery claimed the NBA violated its TNT deal by playing games on Amazon Prime Video.
Warner Bros. Discovery's Bleacher Report and House of Highlights digital platforms will reportedly continue to access NBC content. The company will also continue to work with the NBA's digital business for the next few years, with part of the agreement providing about $350m in revenue for the company for services, promotions, shows and marketing over the life of the deal, the people said.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed with Disney to license TNT's "Inside the NBA" show to ESPN and ABC for next season, the people said. The show airs throughout the NBA season.
ESPN will also re-license Big12 football and basketball games to Warner Bros. Discovery to air on TNT and its Max streaming service, the people said.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the NBA and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.