In a heated battle to secure the NBA's third and final rights package, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast are competing to become the league's broadcasting partner. The determining factor in this race seems to be how each entity defines a competitive "match."

According to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal, the NBA is skeptical that Warner Bros. Discovery can match Comcast's impressive bid of $2.5 billion per year for the remaining rights package. The league believes that Warner Bros. Discovery cannot replicate the value of Comcast's NBC broadcast network and regional sports networks, although it is unclear how the latter plays into the bid.

To stand a chance at retaining the rights, Warner Bros. Discovery might have to surpass Comcast's bid, potentially reaching a staggering $2.8 billion annually. This figure exceeds even ESPN's payment of $2.6 billion per year for its "A" package, which includes the highly sought-after NBA Finals. Remarkably, it also exceeds Amazon's bid of one billion dollars for the "C" package.

Warner Bros. Discovery, on the other hand, contends that meeting NBC's price would be sufficient to match and retain its rights package. They may explore legal avenues to determine the exact scope of their matching rights. However, the report paints a picture of the NBA leaning towards Comcast, leaving Warner Bros. Discovery disappointed.

Previous reports have indicated that Comcast plans to broadcast Sunday night NBA games on the NBC network following the NFL season. Now, it is newly revealed that Comcast might also acquire the Friday night regular season games relinquished by ESPN.

There is a discrepancy between Friend's report and previous information from John Ourand of Puck. According to Friend, the "B" package would include a conference final every year, rather than every other year as Ourand had stated. Ourand had also reported that the "B" package winner would alternate with Amazon for conference finals, but Friend asserts that Amazon's "C" package only includes first-round playoff games.

As the negotiations intensify, it remains to be seen which entity will emerge victorious and claim the NBA's lucrative final rights package. The outcome promises to have a significant impact on the future of NBA broadcasting.