In a twist worthy of a WrestleMania main event, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the tag-team partner of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has body-slammed the NBA with a lawsuit. After four decades of high-flying hoops action, the once harmonious partnership has ended in a spectacular legal showdown. The drama unfolded as the NBA cut a deal with Amazon, NBC, and ESPN, benching WBD despite their claim to have matched Amazon’s offer.
Friday night saw WBD and Turner Broadcasting pile-driving the NBA into legal oblivion, promising a thunderous announcement to follow. The move left fans wondering if they were watching a sports broadcast or a reality TV feud.
“Given the NBA’s unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer, we have taken legal action to enforce our rights,” TNT Sports declared in a statement that read like a wrestling promo. “We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right, but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed WBD video-first distribution platforms — including TNT and Max.”
In the blue corner, WBD’s complaint claims the NBA failed to honor their long-standing relationship and their right to match any offer, a right they say they “timely exercised” to the letter of Amazon’s terms. WBD alleges the NBA’s breach of contract was as blatant as a steel chair shot to the head, leaving them no choice but to seek judicial intervention.