Judge Presiding Over WBA-NBA Lawsuit Previously Sued NBA

As a seasoned gamer with a knack for following sports news, I must say, this NBA-streaming deal is shaping up to be quite the spectacle! The $76 billion USD over 11 years is a jaw-dropping figure that’s hard not to notice.

Starting shortly, you’ll be able to stream NBA games on Comcast, Disney, and Amazon networks. These three companies have secured a new broadcasting agreement with the league, worth an astounding $76 billion USD over the subsequent 11 years.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got some news to share about the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Previously, we had a partnership under their TNT banner, but recently, we chose Amazon over an offer from WBD. Now, guess what? WBD has decided to take legal action against us on Friday, claiming that our rejection of their matching third-party offer worth 1.8 billion USD annually was unjustified. In response, the NBA is arguing that Amazon’s digital reach is significantly broader.

Previously, it has come to light that the judge overseeing WBD’s lawsuit had previously worked on a case connected to the NBA as a partner. Back in 2014, Justice Joel M. Cohen represented the Silna brothers, who owned the ABA’s Spirit of St. Louis basketball team, in their legal battle against the NBA. Following the merger between the ABA and NBA, the Spirits were excluded from the league’s active teams list. As a compromise, the brothers accepted a small share of the game broadcast revenue in exchange for halting all operations altogether.

In the passage of time, Cohen assisted the Silnas in negotiating a $500 million USD settlement when the NBA aimed to fully purchase them out, as reported by Front Office Sports.

Cohen recently notified both parties in the WBD-NBA suit of his history in a letter. “I do not believe this raises any recusal issues, but wanted to disclose the facts and see if there are any concerns,” he wrote.

For individuals not yet aware, starting from the 2025-2026 season and continuing until the 2035-2036 season, NBA games will be broadcast on Amazon, NBC (owned by Comcast) and Peacock, as well as ABC and ESPN (both owned by Disney). Disney will have rights to 80 games, Amazon will handle 66, and Comcast’s networks may air up to 100.

Following the conclusion of Thursday Night Football, Amazon plans to broadcast prime-time matches every Thursday evening and double-header games on Fridays. ESPN will also show some double-headers on Fridays, while continuing with their double-header lineup on Wednesdays.

1) On Saturdays, ABC takes charge of the afternoon matches, while Amazon broadcasts a handful. After Sunday Night Football concludes, NBC steps in with the games. Peacock provides a Monday twin-bill, followed by two more games on NBC’s local networks on Tuesdays.

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