Several major music publishers have filed lawsuits against 14 NBA teams for alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted music, with potential consolidation of most cases on the horizon.

The Phoenix Suns case is scheduled for a pre-trial conference in October, while the remaining 13 cases - involving teams like the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Cleveland Cavaliers - are likely to be consolidated into a single lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Publisher plaintiffs including Kobalt Music Publishing, Artist Publishing Group, and Prescription Songs are seeking $150,000 in damages per infringement. The allegedly unauthorized music includes works from artists such as Cardi B, Jay-Z, Migos, OutKast, and DJ Khaled.

The timing of these lawsuits coincides with Comcast's recent $2.5 billion annual NBA broadcast package agreement. While the NBA itself isn't named in the lawsuits, proper recording and compositional licenses would be required for any video content uploaded to NBA platforms.

This legal action follows a similar case where Sony Music sued Marriott International in May over alleged copyright infringements in social media posts, involving works from artists like Britney Spears, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé.

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