Why Hollywood battle could change how you watch sport

Hollywood is currently hosting a multi-billion dollar takeover fight, with Premier League executives closely watching.

Warner Bros. Discovery is being tried by Netflix and Paramount Skydance, along with titles like Harry Potter, Barbie, and Game of Thrones.

TNT Sports, a key player in a tense battle between some of the world’s best TV shows and films, is hidden within Warner Bros. Discovery.

The outcome of the takeover tug-of-war will have a direct impact on the UK’s future of sporting rights.

TNT Sports has been a competitive player in the rights market since 2012, or BT Sport as it was known then.

In the UK, it holds the FA Cup and the Saturday lunchtime Premier League packages.

Other significant assets include the rugby union, motorsport, and cycling, but football has always been a major source of revenue.

TNT Sports increased the value of Champions League TV rights, but it no longer owns them.

Warner Bros Discovery and BT have the rights to the Olympics, which was established in 2022, and the channel is now a joint venture.

The value of sports rights is maintained by strong, steady competition, which TNT has played a key role in in recent years in the UK.

Enders Analysis’ media and telecoms analyst Francois Godard told BBC Sport, “TNT Sports is enshrouded in uncertainty.”

Who will be Warner Brothers’ owner? Who will be the owner of TNT Sports?

Currently, BT Group holds 50%. However, it is negotiating a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to sell its remaining shares. That at least would improve the ease of a future sale.

In that scenario, it is possible that TNT Sports is acquired by another business as part of a takeover process.

The UK television landscape will change over the coming years.

ITV is reportedly mulling a deal with Sky to buy its broadcasting company for £1.6 billion.

ITV and Sky must now react in the face of fierce competition from streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

Will they find themselves competing in the sports industry with Netflix?

Although there is some doubt about how much ambition its executives have here, all the evidence suggests otherwise.

With “the entertainment” boxing matches like Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, Netflix has previously beaten its own drum.

It was claimed to be in contention for Paramount’s rights to the Champions League.

For the first time in its history that it has purchased the rights to a sports competition in full, Netflix has secured the rights to the US Women’s World Cups of 2027 and 2031.

Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, praised Netflix as “a recognizable brand and the company’s new long-term partner.”

That was highlighted on Wednesday when Fifa revealed that the video game would be produced for the 2026 World Cup in partnership with Netflix.

For the men’s World Cup upcoming year, Netflix also signed Gary Lineker’s The Rest is Football podcast.

A consistent series of Premier League games, similar to what Amazon Prime used to be, would be more in line with the business model of Netflix. At least until now.

Pescatore thinks TNT Sports could give UK athletes “fast-track access” to the competitive sports rights market.

Netflix has a purpose, according to him, but they have realized that the idea of live programming makes viewers tune in at that very moment.

However, Godard made the point that Netflix and TNT Sports UK are still having a lot of thought about it.

Warner Bros. Discovery is separating itself into two parts.

The streaming and studios divisions of the company, which TNT Sports in the UK is a part of, have recently been purchased by Netflix.

However, the US business of TNT Sports is not included in the deal, which raises questions about Netflix’s intentions.

TNT Sports was not mentioned in the press release announcing the Netflix deal. The movietic arm of HBO and the TV behemoth were the subject of all the discussion.

Because the offer covers the entire business, the takeover would be simpler.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholders were instructed to reject Paramount Skydance’s $ 108.4 billion (£80.8 billion) offer on Wednesday, though.

TNT Sports’s more glaring bedfellow is Paramount.

It already has Champions League rights in the US under its CBS brand and has already shown its clear intent in the sports rights market, including football and UFC. It will also be in control of the UK market starting in 2027.

Pescator claims Paramount has an open checkbook, which paid more than £1 billion over four years for Champions League rights.

In the UK subscription market, there are already companies like Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Premier Sports, Disney+, and DAZN.

Add the Champions League’s Paramount starting in 2027, unless mergers occur before that time.

In the UK, bids will begin for the upcoming year’s worth of Premier League rights in 2027.

The 2025-29 deal was worth £6.7bn. Will a new, ambitious player emerge?

No one has the economics to compete with Sky Sports, according to Godard.

The new ownership structure, according to Godard, “would certainly make the Premier League more interested,” he said.

In the US, NBC’s Premier League rights expire in 2028. This might give Netflix and Paramount’s intentions a heads-up.

Pescatore asserts that Disney+’s interest cannot be excluded.

Disney+ already owns the rights to the Saturday night La Liga game in the UK and the Women’s Champions League throughout all of Europe.

Or could the future hold a completely different outcome?

One suggestion is that the Premier League might decide to create its own direct-to-consumer channel, “Premflix,” to show some of the games on its own.