The NBA may soon have brand new media rights deals with three of the biggest media companies in the world. But that might not be the end of this ongoing saga.

Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that the NBA is "formalizing" media rights contracts with Disney/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, with each platform getting its own package. ESPN is reportedly paying a whopping $2.8 billion per year for the "A" package, which includes the NBA Finals, weekly primetime games, and the WNBA. NBC is reportedly paying $2.6 billion per year for the "B" package, which could include a studio show, a fewl primetime games per week, and two playoff series. Amazon's approximately $2 billion package is reportedly centered on the in-season tournament, the play-in tournament, and the WNBA.

That seems neat and tidy, but things are far from settled. Once the contracts are finalized and each network finalizes their bids, the NBA will reportedly take the contract for NBC's "B" package to Warner Bros. Discovery (the current media rights holder) to give them the opportunity to match NBC's offer in "total value."

The phrase "total value" is the key here. NBC is a legacy broadcast network with nationwide over-the-air broadcasts. Warner Bros. Discovery is a multinational company with assets in every area of media, but one thing they do not have is nationwide over-the-air broadcast capability. According to Sports Business Journal, that could make it impossible for WBD to match NBC's offer in "total value."

Another thing WBD doesn't have is money. They're reportedly $40 billion in debt and might not be able to beat NBC by simply overpaying. In that case, if the WBD would take the NBA to court over the definition of "total value."

If WBD's potential lawsuit fails, the 2024-2025 season would be the NBA's last on TNT, putting an end to the beloved studio show "Inside the NBA."

Who is to blame?

If you're looking for someone to blame for the possible end of "Inside the NBA," look no further than David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. He's already hated for, among numerous reasons, cancelling every show you love, changing the name of HBO's streaming platform to "MAX," removing movies and TV shows from MAX to use them as tax write-offs, and shelving movies that have already been completed, also as tax write-offs.

Adding "killed another beloved TV show" to that list is easy, but learning why might make your head blow up.

According to Sports Business Journal, ESPN is paying $2.8 billion, double the $1.4 billion they paid a decade ago, to retain the rights to the "A" package and to prevent it from going on the open market. But Zaslav reportedly "refused" to double the $1.2 billion Warner Bros. paid a decade ago to retain the "B" package. When their exclusive negotiating window with the NBA ended without a deal, anyone was welcome to jump in, and NBC did just that, essentially stealing the deal from WBD because Zaslav was reportedly unwilling to pay market value.

To rescue the deal, Zaslav may have to go to court. The future of "Inside the NBA," along with dozens of jobs, rests on the fate of a lawsuit.