WBD is playing their part in the drama and they have filed suit. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40647935/warner-bros-discovery-sues-nba-losing-rights-amazon
On Fri, Jul 26, 2024 at 8:56 AM PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > For the record… > The NBA has rejected WBD’s offer for the Amazon package. Here is the AP > story: > > https://apnews.com/article/855da6a644947d74ad3330c0470a7c94 > > Puck News’ John Ourand, in a nice story on the whole saga appropriately > titled “How Zaz Lost the NBA”, summarized recent developments, snipet > pasted below. > > Ourand’s take on the whole saga is that Zaz badly misunderstood the Rights > market for the NBA, and the NBA’s desire to move hard into streaming. > Although the end game involves WBD pathetically trying to match Amazon, the > real package WBD had a chance to match was Comcast/NBC, but Comcast made a > much bigger offer than WBD anticipated, partly to weaken Turners position > in bargaining for cable carriage. > > =============== > > “On Monday, WBD announced its intention to use its matching rights on > Amazon’s package. Two days later, Koenig sent Silberwasser the email saying > that WBD’s matching rights weren’t applicable. Koenig told Silberwasser > that the package was streaming-only, not the streaming-and-cable package > that WBD was counter-proposing. Koenig also outlined that Amazon put its > first three years of rights fees in escrow, meaning that payments would be > made automatically. WBD offered a letter of credit, which the NBA did not > view as equal. Koenig also referenced Prime’s enormous reach vis-à-vis > Max—a dig, to be sure. > > WBD responded to Koenig’s email with a statement that both encapsulated > the months of testy dealmaking and foreshadowed an even more litigious > future. “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights > with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate > action.” > Sent from Gmail Mobile > > > On Wed, 24 Jul 2024 at 5:18 PM PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Apparently Amazon and the NBA think WBD’s offer does not qualify as a >> match, WBD thinks it does. I had speculated Zaz wanted to go to court so he >> could blame the NBA (rather than himself). Puck News makes the more likely >> suggestion he is looking for a payoff so he can claim he came out ahead. I >> will add that to my previous prediction that WBD eventually licenses its >> pre game show to Amazon, which would get them even more cash, and Zaz could >> claim he is a genius for getting paid not to air NBA games instead of >> overpaying to air them. >> >> Sent from Gmail Mobile >> >> >> On Wed, 24 Jul 2024 at 9:31 AM M-D November <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I've been seeing reporting that the NBA will likely deny WBD's match, >>> although it's unclear as to why they'd be able to (possibly because >>> Amazon's package is streaming-only, where WBD's would air on TNT & Max?). >>> Either way, I'm also seeing that the NBA has eliminated the right to match >>> in future renegotiations. >>> >>> On Monday, July 22, 2024 at 10:19:12 PM UTC-4 PGage wrote: >>> >>>> Reports are Zaz has claimed his right to match the Amazon offer for one >>>> of the NBA Rights packages (1 night would be on Max apparently). >>>> >>>> The AP story does not dig into what I understand to be significant >>>> challenges for WBD to legally satisfy its matching requirements, and Bill >>>> Simmons is predicting they won’t be able to do it. >>>> >>>> Maybe Zaz now admits he was wrong and he does need the NBA, at any >>>> price. Or maybe this is an attempt to cover his very bare ass, by >>>> pretending to Match, then wrangling in court long enough that folks get >>>> distracted by other things and forget what he lost. >>>> >>>> https://apnews.com/article/da054dbb0e901b8d9339eab63387b101 >>>> >>>> >>>> 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/9c2b9afa-a6d2-42a3-8c51-8fc18d00afa3n%40googlegroups.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/9c2b9afa-a6d2-42a3-8c51-8fc18d00afa3n%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/CAKGtkY%2Ba23KPWyWEuonyuvJ_MTqTsVb0r0Jq2-ygormfr7o7EQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKGtkY%2Ba23KPWyWEuonyuvJ_MTqTsVb0r0Jq2-ygormfr7o7EQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. 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