Why Warner’s NBA Suit Is Pointless

David Zaslav may be persona non grata the next time he shows up to an NBA game. Warner Bros. Discovery, which Zaslav runs, filed suit Friday against the league over its rejection of WBD’s offer to renew its longstanding deal to air NBA games. Whatever the merits of WBD’s argument, this doesn’t seem likely to end well for Zaslav.

The fundamental issue he faces is that sports leagues have all the power when it comes to negotiating with media outlets that broadcast their games. Live sports, as we keep hearing from analysts, are the only thing a large number of people will still tune in to watch at the same time, which is hugely valuable for the advertisers who pay TV networks’ bills. That’s why the price of sports rights keeps skyrocketing.