Right. This is what I suggested might happen, and Similar to how WBD has licensed say Band of Brothers to Netflix. Read a piece last night from a different Puck columnist who suggested Zaz may be doing the right thing in letting the NBA, in the sense that his number 1 priority is decreasing debt, and he may be able to get lesser live sports with still enough demand to justify cable carriage for a lot less. If this is true, then getting even more cash flow from licensing his popular NBA show would follow.
Sent from Gmail Mobile On Wed, 29 May 2024 at 9:56 AM M-D November <[email protected]> wrote: > Couldn't NBC/Comcast just pay WBD to produce Inside the NBA for them? I > realize it's not the ideal option, but a) the studio show appears to be > universally beloved, and b) NBC hasn't had the NBA or any meaningful > basketball outside of Olympic play in years, so this immediately gives them > a credible studio crew. > > On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 5:05:29 PM UTC-4 Greg Diener wrote: > >> I'd expect Amazon would work out a deal to sub-license Inside the NBA and >> bring Ernie in, similar to how Amazon has a deal with Kirk Herbstreit for >> Thursday Night Football while he remains employed by ESPN. >> >> Greg >> >> On Friday, May 24, 2024 at 9:38:03 PM UTC-4 PGage wrote: >> >>> Right. The problem is Ernie is locked into TNT. So to keep the crew >>> together I think they would need to pay TNT and get them to license or sub >>> let the show to another outlet. >>> >>> Sent from Gmail Mobile >>> >>> >>> On Fri, 24 May 2024 at 3:29 PM 'Bob Jersey' via TVorNotTV < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Dan Patrick earlier this week asked Charles Barkley about the >>>> possibility of the TNT studio crew (or at least Chuck and Shaq) forming an >>>> LLC, I guess, and offering their collective services to another network if >>>> WBD loses out... Chuck noted that Ernie Johnson might be under a personal >>>> deal that would prevent all four of them (Kenny Smith) from going, but >>>> appeared open to the deal... I'm waiting on Shaq to weigh in on this, >>>> either that or tell DP to shut up in classic fashion... >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IwWcZqn5K8 (link) >>>> B >>>> >>>> On Friday, May 24, 2024 at 4:52:36 PM UTC-4 PGage wrote: >>>> >>>>> From Puck News, a good summary of current status of NBA rights, and >>>>> what appears to be another fumble by Zaz. TNT still has a chance to match >>>>> one of these deals, but as explained, not clear how they could, and Zaz >>>>> may >>>>> be taking humiliating route of positioning himself for a nuisance relief >>>>> settlement. >>>>> >>>>> My only quibble with the summary is Puck may be underestimating the >>>>> significance of the multiple Emmy winning TNT NBA studio show. If I were >>>>> Adam Silver I would be looking into some kind of creative deal where WBD >>>>> licenses “Inside the NBA” to like Amazon. >>>>> >>>>> *===============* >>>>> >>>>> *Matt Belloni…* >>>>> >>>>> *“ NBA air ball*: Man, is *Adam Silver* *annoyed* with *David Zaslav* and >>>>> the Warner Bros. Discovery team, per two sources familiar with his >>>>> thinking. At this point, the NBA commissioner is basically Ferris Bueller >>>>> after the credits roll: *Go home, David… it’s over*. As my colleague *John >>>>> Ourand*reported, the league has selected its preferred broadcast >>>>> partners, and they’re *not* Warner Discovery/Turner. Disney/ESPN gets >>>>> the A package for $2.8 billion a year, Comcast/NBC swipes the B package >>>>> for >>>>> about $2.5 billion—a big increase from the $1.2 billion that Turner is >>>>> paying, and for far *fewer* games—and Amazon Prime Video lands a new >>>>> C package for just under $2 billion. That’s about $7 billion a year for >>>>> the >>>>> NBA, *waaay* up from $2.6 billion in the current deals, and it allows >>>>> the league to escape the cable TV quicksand for more broadcast, with the >>>>> favorable demos of streaming and the financial heft of Amazon. Not bad. >>>>> >>>>> But Zaslav won’t let it go, today floating in a CNBC *story >>>>> <https://email.puck.news/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6ImRnVDJ4Z1lEQU9lN0FlYTdBUUdQcU04MXlSQnVScFRZUm4zNFJQRT0iLCJocmVmIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vMjAyNC8wNS8yMy93YXJuZXItYnJvcy1kaXNjb3ZlcnktY29uc2lkZXJzLW1hdGNoaW5nLW5iYS1wYWNrYWdlLXNsYXRlZC1mb3ItYW1hem9uLmh0bWw_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPVdoYXQrSSUyN20rSGVhcmluZystK1NVQlNDUklCRVJTKyUyODUlMkYyMyUyRjI0JTI5XHUwMDI2dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9V2hhdCtJJTI3bStIZWFyaW5nKy0rU1VCU0NSSUJFUlMrJTI4NSUyRjYlMkYyNCUyOVx1MDAyNnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWxfYWN0aW9uXHUwMDI2dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1jdXN0b21lci5pb1x1MDAyNnV0bV90ZXJtPWY2YzYwNjAwZTZiYjAxZTdiYjAxIiwiaW50ZXJuYWwiOiJmNmM2MDYwMGU2YmIwMWU3YmIwMSIsImxpbmtfaWQiOjg5NDU2Mn0/5742a4957745f0d23ea47ff1a71117a17b1d4235e5cba11e67fbc9a8a2a7bab1>*that >>>>> WBD might try to match not the package he’s losing but *Amazon’s*—a >>>>> position previewed on Sunday by my partner *Bill Cohan*. Once the >>>>> three deals are presented to Warner Discovery (the NBA still needs clarity >>>>> on All-Star Weekend and a couple international and local issues, I’m >>>>> told), >>>>> Zaz & Co. will have five days to match—but it’s unclear what that even >>>>> means. The packages awarded and the platforms offered look *very* >>>>> different >>>>> from the current deals—and the “matching rights” language is old and >>>>> doesn’t contemplate the disparity of assets. >>>>> >>>>> What’s clear is the NBA no longer *wants* Turner. Comcast’s *Brian >>>>> Roberts* is reportedly offering the prime real estate of two >>>>> primetime games a week on NBC, which WBD can’t “match” because it doesn’t >>>>> have a broadcast network. Nor can Zaslav likely “match” Amazon’s offer >>>>> because he would never put all the games exclusively on his streamer, even >>>>> if he could scrounge together the huge fee for a small selection of games. >>>>> Zaz wants to upsell Max subscribers to watch some games, limiting their >>>>> reach. Why would the NBA want that? >>>>> >>>>> Silver has been irked by Zaslav since his “We don’t have to have the >>>>> NBA” comments back in 2022, a clear misstep. During the exclusive >>>>> negotiation window, Disney’s *Bob Iger*and *Jimmy Pitaro* locked in a >>>>> handshake deal while Zaz and his sports guy, *Luis Silberwasser*, >>>>> whined about the cost, according to two sources familiar with the >>>>> negotiation. Bloomberg *reported >>>>> <https://email.puck.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>* >>>>> the >>>>> disparity was just $200 million, a number that Warner Discovery >>>>> shareholders might soon put on placards if they start picketing on Olive >>>>> Avenue for Zaslav’s removal. Having bungled the negotiations, Zaz now >>>>> wants >>>>> to prevent the NBA from getting into business with Amazon? And if Silver >>>>> says no, Warners might sue? That would be one of the all-time loser moves. >>>>> (And remember, this is a company that threw finished movies in the garbage >>>>> to write them off.) >>>>> >>>>> CNBC even noted that WBD might try to use the uncertainty over >>>>> matching rights to extract a settlement to go away. I haven’t confirmed >>>>> that, but if true, it suggests that Zaslav sees the writing on the wall >>>>> and >>>>> is looking for backup plans. This week’s sublicense of a few College >>>>> Football Playoff games from ESPN suggests the same. It’s never a good sign >>>>> when your marquee broadcaster, in this case *Charles Barkley*, >>>>> compares your company to *Boone’s Farm >>>>> <https://email.puck.news/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6ImRnVDJ4Z1lEQU9lN0FlYTdBUUdQcU04MXlSQnVScFRZUm4zNFJQRT0iLCJocmVmIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vMjAyNC8wNS8yMy93YXJuZXItYnJvcy1kaXNjb3ZlcnktY29uc2lkZXJzLW1hdGNoaW5nLW5iYS1wYWNrYWdlLXNsYXRlZC1mb3ItYW1hem9uLmh0bWw_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPVdoYXQrSSUyN20rSGVhcmluZystK1NVQlNDUklCRVJTKyUyODUlMkYyMyUyRjI0JTI5XHUwMDI2dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9V2hhdCtJJTI3bStIZWFyaW5nKy0rU1VCU0NSSUJFUlMrJTI4NSUyRjYlMkYyNCUyOVx1MDAyNnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWxfYWN0aW9uXHUwMDI2dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1jdXN0b21lci5pb1x1MDAyNnV0bV90ZXJtPWY2YzYwNjAwZTZiYjAxZTdiYjAxIiwiaW50ZXJuYWwiOiJmNmM2MDYwMGU2YmIwMWU3YmIwMSIsImxpbmtfaWQiOjg5NDU2Mn0/5742a4957745f0d23ea47ff1a71117a17b1d4235e5cba11e67fbc9a8a2a7bab1>* >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> Zaslav and Silberwasser could still match one of these deals, or they >>>>> could somehow finagle a tiny fourth package to keep *some* NBA. But >>>>> why would Silver allow that to happen? He’s got great deals at the finish >>>>> line that will grow the game and serve his owners, his players, and his >>>>> fans. It’s not like Zaslav is bringing him a platform or an audience he >>>>> can’t get elsewhere. *Inside the NBA* can be reconstituted. And will >>>>> Warner Discovery exist in 18 months? Just yesterday, former WarnerMedia >>>>> C.E.O. *Jason Kilar* predicted that it won’t. >>>>> >>>>> Faced with these grim options, the right move here for Zaslav is to >>>>> wish the NBA well, walk away, scream fiscal prudence, pray the >>>>> shareholders >>>>> understand, and invest some of those billions elsewhere in sports to keep >>>>> the cable channels at least semi-viable. UFC, more baseball, whatever. The >>>>> fact is, when the NBA decided it didn’t want Turner, the relationship was >>>>> over. Zaz should admit it and move on” >>>>> >>>>> Sent from Gmail Mobile >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "TVorNotTV" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/a61c1cbc-f695-472b-9404-8c817848ab36n%40googlegroups.com >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/a61c1cbc-f695-472b-9404-8c817848ab36n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/ae20acf6-8722-4c98-8be2-ea75f45ef741n%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/ae20acf6-8722-4c98-8be2-ea75f45ef741n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKGtkYKhH_%3DVkTQnre3gML_D7YbpP7kCcbXGBhAkL25Q_m%2B-Fw%40mail.gmail.com.
