Warner Bros. Discovery loses $1.1 billion from NBA rights

Warner Bros. Discovery is facing a significant financial loss of $1.1 billion after losing the live broadcasting rights to the NBA. Media analyst Robert Fishman from MoffettNathanson reported that this loss will affect the company’s advertising revenue in 2026. The loss represents about 23 percent of the company’s total advertising revenue this year. TNT Sports, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery, lost the rights to air NBA games to NBC and Amazon. NBC paid $2.6 billion for its rights, while Amazon secured a smaller package for $1.8 billion. In response to the lost NBA coverage, TNT Sports has added other live sports events to its programming. These include College Football Playoff games, the French Open, and several NASCAR races. This strategy is aimed at maintaining their relationships with cable and satellite providers. Despite these additions, losing the NBA will reduce the overall number of live sports events that viewers can watch on TNT Sports. Currently, the channel airs two regular season NBA games each week. Other sports events, like the French Open and NASCAR, may not attract as many advertisers because they do not draw as high a number of viewers as NBA games. For now, TNT Sports will depend on its new line-up to attract viewers and advertisers. However, the absence of NBA coverage is likely to lead to a drop in advertising revenue.