TNT Sports still interested in UFC and F1 rights despite WBD split

Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent announcement that it will be splitting into two separate companies has thrown a wrench into the future of TNT Sports.

But despite being split from WBD’s Streaming and Studio assets — including the HBO Max streaming service — the company is still interested in pursuing sports rights.

That much was made clear in a recent interview that CNBC’s Alex Sherman did with TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser. In particular, Silberwasser stated that he’s still eyeing UFC and Formula 1 racing, both of which are currently negotiating their next rights deals.

Actually landing such rights, however, will likely prove easier said than done.

That’s because with the split not going into effect until next year, TNT Sports currently only has HBO Max to offer from a streaming standpoint. And with the future of HBO Max belonging to a company that will be headed by David Zaslav, it’s notable that the current WBD CEO recently stated that sports “have been less critical” for the streaming service.

In his interview with Sherman, Silberwasser downplayed Zaslav’s comments, at least as far as their impact on TNT Sports’ future. To Silberwasser, it’s a positive that his company will no longer be overseen by a CEO who doesn’t view sports a key component to its strategy.

“We can control our own destiny,” Silberwasser told Sherman. “Sports becomes a core pillar of this new company. I like the hand we have and the opportunities this presents us to continue to grow.”

Still, the reality remains that the planned split won’t go into effect next year. And that makes for awkward timing from a negotiating standpoint, as any potential deals would tie the properties to HBO Max, which Silberwasser said remains interested in exclusive sports assets.

“We were looking at F1 as part of that, as well as UFC,” he said. “We’ll see if anything materializes.”

At this point, it’s hard to imagine it will, with UFC having already drawn interest from ESPN, Netflix and Amazon while F1 has been linked to ESPN and Apple. Still, Silberwasser expressed optimism for his company’s future and the newfound opportunities the impending split could bring.

“We can reimagine our direct-to-consumer strategy,” he said. “Sports will continue to be on HBO Max, but it doesn’t have to be the only place. We can now think about other partnerships, including having our own sports product and partnering with other platforms.”