Warner Bros Discovery face losing another rights deal after NBA with crunch meeting to take place during Paris Olympics

WARNER Bros. Discovery may lose out on the rights to another popular program.

All Elite Wrestling has officially hit the open market as its negotiating window with the TV giant ended earlier this week, according to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp.

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Warner’s CEO David Zaslav and AEW CEO Tony Khan are expected to meet in Paris at the Olympics , Fightful reported.

Khan previously revealed to reporters that AEW and Warner were “close to the red zone” regarding a potential deal.

When the two sides were still in the exclusive negotiating window, Khan seemed certain that a deal would be reached.

“We’re still having great conversations right now in the exclusive window,” Khan said during a conference call with reporters.

“I’m very focused right now on the conversations we’re having here at TNT and TBS and with Warner Bros. Discovery about AEW and potentially [Ring of Honor] as well.

“That right now is 100 percent of the focus as we’re working through this exclusive period.”

Despite the AEW CEO’s optimism, a deal has yet to be signed, and the wrestling promotion can now seek a deal elsewhere.

AEW may have difficulty finding a new potential suitor, though, as NBC Universal, Netflix , and The CW each have new deals with the company’s rival, WWE .

NBC Universal, Netflix, and The CW deals for rival WWE are set to go into effect in the coming months.

ESPN or Fox will likely not pursue the No. 2 pro wrestling promotion, as ratings have been solid but not spectacular.

This comes after Warner lost out to NBC for the broadcasting rights to NBA games .

NBC is set to pay $2.5 billion per year to broadcast the league’s games, starting from the 2024-25 season, according to The Wall Street Journal .

It will reportedly show about 100 games per season, half of which will stream exclusively on Peacock.

NBC is set to air NBA games on Tuesdays and Sundays when they won’t clash with Sunday Night Football.

What the new TV deal means for the NBA?

By The U.S. Sun's Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.

THE new TV rights deal is promising to be a humongous win for NBA players.

The league is set to more than double the revenue coming from its media partners, pocketing about $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap spike in 2025-26.

That is going to send the value of player contracts skyrocketing.

Projected figures suggest we might see the first $100 million-per-year deal being signed soon.

Currently, Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum is projected to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, collecting $71.5 million in 2029-30.

If TNT Sports successfully matches one of the offers to maintain its decades-long partnership with the league, hoops fans will be on the winning side too.

The network’s flagship, Inside the NBA, is a one-of-a-kind sports entertainment show , as evidenced by ESPN’s ongoing failure to come up with its own version of the program in recent years.

The NBA wouldn’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s never-ending bickering every Tuesday night.

During the initial negotiating window, Warner Bros. Discovery executives opted not to pay an extra $1 billion on top of the current $1.2 billion for the league’s TV rights while receiving a smaller package of games, per the report.

But when one door closes, another opens as Warner revealed they have added a new sport to their programming.

Variety says sources have confirmed that Warner has acquired the U.S. rights to show the French Open .

Warner intends to showcase the Open across its cable networks, Max streaming service, and Bleacher Report digital sports hub.

NBC has been showing the prestigious European tennis tournament since 1989, before Warner snagged the rights.

The major tennis tournament is set to take place between May 31 and June 8, 2025.