Warner Bros. Discovery, currently in a media rights dispute with the NBA, has enlisted the help of a PR firm to fortify its stance. The decision comes in response to escalating tensions and to assert its robust position in the forthcoming NBA rights agreement for the 2025-26 season. A recent lawsuit against the NBA, citing significant misinterpretation of contract terms, has provoked immediate stakeholder attention and anticipation of a precedent-setting resolution.
In addition to the legal intervention, Warner Bros. Discovery has initiated a strategic partnership with the public relations agency Edelman. The aim is to assert its position against airing NBA games on Amazon’s Prime Video platform, arguing that it fails to cater to a widespread demographic of basketball viewers.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s NBA dispute strategies
With the aid of Edelman, the goal is to convey this stance effectively and swing public support in their favor, all while fostering an open dialogue with the NBA for a sustainable resolution.
Warner Bros. Discovery contends that Amazon’s platform is detrimental to consumers, inhibiting choice and failing to cater to the diverse needs of basketball viewers globally. While famous, the argument holds that Amazon Prime Video falls short of providing adequate coverage for all fans, leading to an imbalance in the market and infringing on consumer rights.
Edelman, in its campaign, is rallying against the notion that NBA games on Prime Video limit accessibility for some viewers. The PR firm has engaged with the Black community’s influential figures and key organizations, including NAACP, Rainbow Coalition, and National Urban League, to collect strength and support against this belief.
However, critics of this campaign cite the lower monthly subscription fee of Amazon Prime Video compared to many cable subscriptions and the reality that with 99% of U.S households subscribing to at least one streaming service, Prime Video is the second most popular. Despite the opposing views and the assertion that the judiciary will remain politically unbiased, Warner Bros. Discovery persists in its claim that NFL’s Thursday Night Football on Prime Video infringes on public interest.
