“Inside the NBA” will appear on ESPN and ABC beginning next season as part of a settlement between Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court after the league did not accept the company’s matching offer for one of the packages in its new 11-year media rights deal, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.
The settlement is expected to be announced on Monday, three people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because litigation remains ongoing. The deadline to have the lawsuit dismissed is Tuesday.
The settlement was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Even though “Inside the NBA” will be on ESPN and ABC beginning with the 2025-26 season, TNT Sports will continue to produce the popular studio show and it will air from Atlanta, except when the show goes on the road.
The quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will remain with the show. Barkley signed an extension with WBD in August despite the company losing the NBA.
“Inside the NBA” is expected to air during key moments on the league’s calendar — opening night, Christmas Day, the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It is also likely it will be on during Saturday nights the second half of the season when ABC has a prime-time package of games.
The settlement gives TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a global content license for NBA content with no rights fee for the next 11 years.
Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationship with the league’s digital operations, including NBA.com, for five seasons.
Even though TNT Sports will not be airing games in the United States beginning next season, it does have rights to air a full package of games in select countries, including Latin America and Poland.
TNT Sports will also begin showing Big 12 football and men’s basketball games next season as part of a sublicense with ESPN. TNT will air two College Football Playoff games beginning this season also under a sublicense with ESPN.
Warner Bros. Discovery acquired rights to the French Open tennis tournament as well as Big East basketball earlier this year.
Turner Sports has had an NBA package since 1984 and games have been on TNT since the network launched in 1988. That will end after this season.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
