Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has shifted his stance on the NBA's importance to the company. Initially dismissive in 2022, Zaslav now expresses hope to retain NBA media rights amid TNT's struggles with linear TV and earnings missing estimates. The company, under Zaslav's leadership, is actively engaged in negotiations, leveraging existing rights to match rival offers. This change in tone and the impact of his earlier comments reflect the high stakes involved as the decision on the NBA's media rights looms.
Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav said he is now “hopeful” of keeping the company's NBA content. Zaslav did not detail where WBD stands in the negotiations, but confirmed the existing rights to match rival offers and sought to strike a more optimistic tone.
From @TheAthletic: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav remains "hopeful" the company could still retain a portion of the NBA’s media rights on TNT. https://t.co/dz8nwYXe3i
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav says little about NBA on earnings call but what he does say re: matching rights is intriguing. https://t.co/5qmamHLsIy via @WSJ
Warner Bros. Discovery 'hopeful' for NBA deal as earnings miss estimates amid linear TV struggles https://t.co/L77Jkrwh7d by @allie_canal
Two years ago, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav dunked on the NBA. His words zinged the ears of Adam Silver and league executives. And it's left Zaslav and TNT Sports fighting for their NBA lives, writes @AndrewMarchand. https://t.co/dFEUVcaA9w https://t.co/znEjh965Be
From @TheAthletic: Does TNT need the NBA? In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the answer was no. Now, the comments have left the company fighting for its life with the league as a decision must be made. https://t.co/4I4losuEvX
In the fall of 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO stunned the sports media world by saying, “We don’t have to have the NBA.” Now, amidst pressure for TNT to hold onto the NBA's media rights, he's changing his tone: "It's a great league... We love the NBA.”