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WBD armed with digital content in NBA settlement
Warner Bros. Discovery has settled its lawsuit against the National Basketball Association, bringing an end to the legal saga spurred by the league’s new domestic broadcast deals.
Disney streaming profits partly offset linear decline
Walt Disney’s streaming business continues to be profitable, partially offsetting a sharp fall in its linear networks' operating income in its fourth-quarter results.
AFA ‘calls time’ on Primera División free-to-air coverage
TV Pública has reportedly been told it will not be able to broadcast matches from the Primera División next season, ending a period of domestic free-to-air coverage of the Argentinian top-flight.
CWI gets multi-year media rights security via ESPN
Cricket West Indies has struck a domestic media rights agreement with ESPN until 2030, providing the governing body with the long-term broadcast deal it has craved
WNBA Finals break TV record in overtime
The Women’s National Basketball Association achieved record peak and average ratings with its five-game Finals this month.
US Open domestic value soars in ESPN renewal
ESPN’s extension of its domestic US Open rights will more than double its current fee, as the broadcaster solidifies itself as a tennis stronghold well into the next decade.
CBS grows Big 12 basketball inventory via ESPN deal
The Big 12 Conference is to enjoy significantly more exposure across CBS Sports for its respected basketball division following its expansion to 16 schools for the 2024-25 academic year.
DirecTV lodges Disney complaint, hikes pricing
DirecTV has accused Disney of negotiating in bad faith, as their carriage dispute enters a second week and intensifies ahead of the return of the NFL's Monday Night Football
ESPN goes dark on DirecTV amid carriage, antitrust disputes
Disney and DirecTV failed to agree on a licensing deal, leading to Disney-owned channels — including ESPN and ABC — going dark Sunday night in the middle of US Open broadcasting and just before a marquee col…
ESPN lands US Open renewal, cedes host broadcast
ESPN has renewed its rights to the US Open in a long-term 12-year deal that will run to 2037 but sees the United States Tennis Association assume host broadcast duties.
In Focus: US college sports
SportBusiness Media takes a deep dive into the numbers driving the commercial success of US college sports.
Venu Sports faces roadblock as judge delays launch
The much-anticipated launch of Venu Sports, the joint sports streaming venture from Walt Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, has been delayed following a ruling by a US District judge
Sport drives Disney’s first streaming profit
Walt Disney's combined streaming business was profitable for the first time in the third quarter, helped by ESPN+, as the US entertainment giant moved back into the black
Venu Sports sets price point for streaming launch
The price point for Venu Sports, the highly anticipated joint sports streaming venture from Walt Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, has been set at $42.99 (€40) per month.
Winning trio detail global nature of bumper NBA deals
The huge $76bn (€70bn), 11-year contracts sealed by the NBA with Disney, Comcast and Amazon give the trio the right to air their inventory in international markets, it has emerged, meaning that Sky will hold rights in several European markets.
5 takeaways from the NBA’s mega media rights deal
Aside from the huge financials on offer, SportBusiness Media delves into what this landmark rights deal means for stakeholders across the US sports industry.
NHL buoyed by Stanley Cup ratings in Canada ahead of rights talks
The National Hockey League will be entering into rights negotiations with prospective broadcasters in Canada from a position of strength after the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final drew record audiences…
NWSL achieves huge uplift, though cash rights fee short of ’40x’ increase
The US’s top-tier National Women’s Soccer League has achieved a substantial increase in its media rights fees, though the cash value of its agreements is understood to be short of the ‘40x’ total uplift that has been reported.