Rick: NBCUniversal and WBD have split and spun off businesses, but an interdependence remains to clear sports for viewing. Most basically, NBC holds the Premier League rights, but (presumably) needs USA Network for airtime; ZaslavCo will hold TNT Sports and the NHL, but needs Global's airtime on TNT/TBS to fulfill contracts.
How does that work? Is it a simple matter of licensing the airtime like an infomercial? And who pays for that? Does ZaslavCo, as rightsholder, use Global as a passthrough?
Rick: NBCUniversal and WBD have split and spun off businesses, but an interdependence remains to clear sports for viewing. Most basically, NBC holds the Premier League rights, but (presumably) needs USA Network for airtime; ZaslavCo will hold TNT Sports and the NHL, but needs Global's airtime on TNT/TBS to fulfill contracts.
How does that work? Is it a simple matter of licensing the airtime like an infomercial? And who pays for that? Does ZaslavCo, as rightsholder, use Global as a passthrough?
It's fascinating minutia...