https://deadline.com/2024/04/nba-rights-nbcuniversal-amazon-warner-bros-discovery-1235899201/#:~:text=NBCU%20is%20planning%20to%20bid,carrying%20NBA%20games%20in%201988.

NBCU (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/nbc-interested-in-bringing-back-the-nba-when-tv-rights-expire-in-2025.2916703/) is planning to bid (https://www.google.com/search?q=NBC+prepared+to+pay+big+for+NBA+rights&oq=NBC+prepared+to+pay+big+for+NBA+rights&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg90gEIOTYyajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) $2.5 a year for rights (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cgcoyq/wsj_nbcuniversal_is_serious_about_trying_to_steal/) to the games, according to the Wall Street Journal (https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/comments/1cgczln/nbc_plans_about_25_bln_offer_for_nba_broadcast/). If the offer is successful (https://www.reddit.com/r/billsimmons/comments/1cgd7qs/nbc_prepares_roughly_25_billion_a_year_offer_to/), the company (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nbc-reportedly-planning-to-outbid-wbd-for-nba-rights.html) would supplant (https://www.resetera.com/threads/wsj-nbc-prepares-2-5-billion-a-year-bid-to-pluck-nba-rights-from-tnt.857274/) media rival Warner Bros. Discovery (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1cgevvj/report_nbc_could_steal_nba_rights_from_tnt_to_the/), whose TBS and TNT (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/04/nba-media-rights-comcast-nbc-offering-massive-rights-fee-steal-nba-from-tnt/) cable networks (https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/will-the-nba-return-to-nbc.771068/#post-6717807) began carrying NBA games in 1988.

Charles Barkley could become the richest free agent in sports TV history (https://frontofficesports.com/charles-barkley-inside-the-nba-tnt-tv-rig/)

The Inside the NBA star confirmed that he has an out clause if TNT loses NBA media rights, which Front Office Sports says could lead to a big payday for the NBA hall of famer. "As a free agent, Barkley, at 61, could draw offers of $18 million to $20 million annually, my sources predict," reports Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy. "It’s a smart bet that ESPN, Amazon, and NBC would all vie for his services." Barkley is currently in the midst of a 10-year deal with TNT worth $100 million, or $10 million per year.


Ernie Johnson could reportedly stay at TNT Sports, no matter NBA rights outcome (https://awfulannouncing.com/warner-bros-discovery/ernie-johnson-tnt-sports-nba-rights.html)

Bill Simmons predicts TNT will be left out of NBA media rights deal (https://awfulannouncing.com/ringer/bill-simmons-predicts-tnt-will-left-out-nba-media-rights-deal.html)

Comcast's huge NBA offer, can TNT match, and what it means for the marketplace (https://redcircle.com/shows/652aa123-630f-4bf2-a8b5-e8f8cc6028bd/episodes/bcaed9d7-e0ce-4f1c-b1bf-cce6b262db50)

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is "hopeful" about retaining NBA rights, reveals that TNT could retain NBA rights by matching Amazon's offer (https://www.wsj.com/business/media/warner-bros-discovery-remains-hopeful-it-can-keep-nba-rights-db38f5df)

Speaking to analysts this morning, Zaslav said (https://awfulannouncing.com/warner-bros-discovery/david-zaslav-nba-rights-streaming-bundle.html) that Warner Bros. Discovery has the rights to match (https://awfulannouncing.com/warner-bros-discovery/tnt-nba-future-matching-rights-david-zaslav.html) third-party offers. So if NBC outbids Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT could maintain NBA rights by matching Amazon's offer. Zaslav said he is “hopeful we will be able to reach an agreement that makes sense for both sides.”

When it came to sports NBC was always sports king and when they aired NBA games it became their most watched sporting event every weekend. But why I think NBA games were a huge moneymaker for NBC was because I think NBA had a contract with NBC and when NBC lost the NBA rights it hurt NBA badly. Because when you get the general picture NBC makes huge money in their sports division because they had NBA games and also the Kentucky Derby every year. But I think why NBC wants to get NBA rights to the games back is they think that with NBA games they can be number one in sports second to CBS Sports and ABC Sports but I think they will also have NBA games exclusive to Peacock only and seeing that Amazon Prime and Paramount+ are doing the same thing with sports NBC is hoping to do the same with the NBA as well

TNT lose NBA media rights to NBC, report states (https://basketnews.com/news-206165-tnt-lose-nba-media-rights-to-nbc-report-states.html)

NBC will take over the NBA broadcasting rights from TNT. As such, the crew of the famous Inside the NBA on TNT show will dissolve (https://www.reddit.com/r/NBATalk/comments/1cr7zcn/nbc_is_about_to_reach_a_new_deal_with_the_nbarip/).

Bill Simmons Says NBC Has Secured NBA Television Rights (https://brobible.com/sports/article/bill-simmons-says-nbc-won-nbc-broadcasting-right/)

Bill Simmons says (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cr2hru/simmons_the_nba_media_deal_talks_are_over_tnt/) NBC secured the rights to broadcast NBA games by beating TNT in a bidding war that marks the end (https://www.resetera.com/threads/wsj-nbc-prepares-2-5-billion-a-year-bid-to-pluck-nba-rights-from-tnt.857274/page-5) of "Inside the NBA."

John Tesh says NBC has contacted him about re-recording "Roundball Rock" for the NBA — and the Paris Olympics (https://x.com/LeBatardShow/status/1792979320522113509)

"At the end of June, we're heading to Nashville, we've got a full orchestra on hold and we're going to re-record it," Tesh said of his iconic NBA on NBC theme this morning on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. Tesh's comments don't mean that NBC has won back NBA rights (https://x.com/sherman4949/status/1792989820332970004), according to CNBC's Alex Sherman, who adds: "But I’m told it does mean someone from the NBC licensing department (someone who has nothing to do with the sports rights) has contacted Tesh and told him to be on standby."

NBA salary cap expected to skyrocket with new TV deals (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/nba-salary-cap-projection-new-media-deals.html)

Who will be the NBA's first $400 million man?

Charles Barkley believes Ernie Johnson will retire ‘sooner than later’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/charles-barkley-ernie-johnson-inside-nba-retirement.html)

"I don't think he would go to another network."

NBA reportedly formalizing deals with Disney, Amazon and NBC (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/formalizing-deals-disney-amazon-nbc.html)

"Sources said the NBA is prepping its lawyers for a possible inquisition or lawsuit."


Win or lose, David Zaslav has bungled WBD’s NBA rights negotiation (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/david-zaslav-media-rights-wbd-lowball-nbc-espn-amazon.html)

Charles Barkley says next season will be ‘tough lame duck year’ if TNT loses NBA rights (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/charles-barkley-tnt-losing-rights-lame-duck.html)

[Sports Business Journal] NBA formalizing deals with Disney, Amazon, NBC (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cy01p7/sports_business_journal_nba_formalizing_deals/)

Warner Bros. Discovery is now reportedly going after the NBA package earmarked for Amazon (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/warner-bros-discovery-considers-matching-nba-package-slated-for-amazon.html)

"Warner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms (https://www.resetera.com/threads/nba-formalizing-deals-with-disney-amazon-nbc-inside-the-nba-to-probably-end-next-season-after-a-30-year-run.878376/page-3) — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cyykrj/tnt_is_trying_to_match_amazons_package_now_and/) rather than games slated for Comcast’s NBCUniversal (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/nbc-interested-in-bringing-back-the-nba-when-tv-rights-expire-in-2025.2916703/page-4)," reports CNBC's Alex Sherman, who adds: "The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal (https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/will-the-nba-return-to-nbc.771068/page-2#post-6724699) and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cyx2jj/charles_barkley_believes_david_zaslavs_we_dont/), will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league."


Colin Cowherd predicts NBC’s new NBA package will be ‘not a good deal’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/colin-cowherd-predicts-nba-deal-not-good.html)

Pat McAfee encourages ‘Inside the NBA’ to go independent: ‘That is the move’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/pat-mcafee-encourages-charles-barkley-independent.html)

Charles Barkley floats idea of taking ‘Inside the NBA’ independent (https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/charles-barkley-inside-the-nba-independent-production-company.html)

Charles Barkley believes David Zaslav’s ‘We don’t have to have the NBA’ pissed off Adam Silver (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/charles-barkley-david-zaslav-adam-silver.html)


Charles Barkley says he may reboot Inside the NBA as he calls out Warner Bros. Discovery for having "screwed this thing up" (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/charles-barkley-reboot-inside-the-nba-at-own-company-tnt-sports-loses-nba-rights-1235907146/)

“Morale sucks, plain and simple. You know, I just feel so bad for the people I work with Dan,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, before criticizing his corporate bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery. “These people I work with, they’ve screwed this thing up clearly. And we don’t have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good. I’m not gonna lie, especially when they came out yesterday and said we bought college football (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tnt-college-football-playoff-espn-deal-1235906587/) (playoff games). I was like, well damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA.” Barkley said that he’s discussed reconstituting the popular NBA studio show (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1cyyo2b/charles_barkley_says_he_may_reboot_inside_the_nba/) at his own production company, should TNT lose NBA rights. Barkley also said he believes Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s “We don’t have to have the NBA” angered NBA commissioner Adam Silver (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/charles-barkley-david-zaslav-adam-silver.html).

WBD’s David Zaslav ‘content’ to lose NBA after CFP, NASCAR deals (https://awfulannouncing.com/warner-bros-discovery/david-zaslav-content-lose-nba-college-football-playoff-nascar-deals.html)

"Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA."

NBA on TNT may be ending over $200 million dispute (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/nba-tnt-200-million-dispute.html)

"They’ve screwed this thing up" is putting it mildly.


Handicapping Charles Barkley’s landing spot if TNT loses the NBA (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/handicapping-charles-barkley-next-landing-spot.html)

Kevin Harlan addresses future if TNT loses NBA: ‘I’d be lying if I said that the NBA didn’t have a very special place... (https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/kevin-harlan-nba-special-place-heart.html)

NBC’s NBA deal reportedly includes 100 games annually, half on Peacock (https://awfulannouncing.com/streaming/nba-nbc-peacock-exclusive-games.html)

The NBA's deal with NBC (https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/will-the-nba-return-to-nbc.771068/page-3) will paywall half the games on Peacock.

WSJ: Peacock to air “about half” of Comcast’s NBA games in new deal (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/06/nba-peacock-rights-deal-comcast-espn-amazon-wbd/)

by Jon Lewis 8 hours ago

Peacock will reportedly be a significant component (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1d8s5rz/sports_media_watch_peacock_to_air_about_half_of/)of Comcast’s expected rights deal with the NBA.

Comcast is set to carry about 100 games per season in its looming rights deal with the NBA, of which “about half” will air exclusively on its Peacock streaming service, according to Joe Flint, Amol Sharma and Isabella Simonetti of The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nba-nears-76-billion-tv-deal-a-defining-moment-for-media-and-sports-4e8d762c?st=um0bf4a2uys7xb9). It was not clear whether the 100 game total is just for the regular season or includes playoffs.

The remaining games would air on NBC Tuesday and Sunday nights, with the Sunday games scheduled around NBC’s Sunday Night Football commitments. The Tuesday games would mark the first time the NBA has ever had a regular slate of weeknight games on broadcast television.

Comcast’s USA cable network was not mentioned in the piece, though previous reporting has indicated that it will carry games.

No NBA game has ever aired exclusively on a streaming service, but that is about to change significantly in the new rights deal. Beyond the 50 or so games on Peacock, Amazon is set to acquire the league’s new “C” package and ESPN’s “A” package is said to include the right to put exclusive games on ESPN+.

After two decades in which the overwhelming majority of NBA games aired on basic cable, the league is poised in its new deal to distribute a plurality of its games via streaming services. Assuming Warner Bros. Discovery is unable to secure a fourth package of games — a faint possibility that has nonetheless been mentioned in the recent reporting — ESPN is the only linear cable network that is a lock to carry games. It does not appear likely that ESPN alone will carry more games than the combination of Amazon and Peacock.

[Wall Street Journal] NBA Nears $76 Billion TV Deal, a Defining Moment for Media and Sports (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1d8pdsm/wall_street_journal_nba_nears_76_billion_tv_deal/)

NBC is near an accord with the league (https://www.resetera.com/threads/the-nba-is-nearing-an-11-year-76-billion-media-revenue-deal-with-espn-nbc-and-amazon-per-wall-street-journal-tnt-is-out-after-next-season.890361/) to pay an average of $2.5 billion a year, people familiar with the deal talks said. It would show around 100 games per season, with about half airing exclusively on the Peacock streaming service, reflecting a major bet on the future of streaming.

Amazon’s $1.8 billion-a-year package would include regular-season and playoff games, the new NBA in-season tournament, and the “play-in” games in which teams compete for the final playoff spots. It also would have a share of the conference finals, which the media partners will split in a rotation, the people familiar with the terms said.

Disney would retain an NBA package and would continue to air the NBA Finals, with payments averaging about $2.6 billion a year, people familiar with the terms say, up from $1.5 billion under the current deal. Disney would get fewer games than under its current deal. ESPN’s deal will allow the company to air games on its direct-to-consumer streaming service, which is set to launch in 2025.

Warner, led by Chief Executive David Zaslav, still has a right to match a rival package, and the league could always carve out a new package for the company in the final stretch, but its options are limited.

NBA Close to $76 Billion TV Rights Deal With NBC, Amazon and Disney | Report (https://www.thewrap.com/nba-close-to-76-billion-tv-rights-deal-with-nbc-amazon-and-disney-report/)

The league’s deals (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-nbc-and-amazon-nearing-agreement-on-11-year-nba-media-rights-for-around-76-billion-dollars.2916703/page-5) could translate to a 2.5 times increase in annual fees to an average of nearly $7 billion

The National Basketball Association is closing in (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1d8tug4/nba_close_to_76_billion_tv_rights_deal_with_nbc/) on media deals with NBC, Amazon and Disney/ESPN that could see the league score about $76 billion in revenue over 11 years, according to The Wall Street Journal.

NBCUniversal is expected to pay (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/628357/2023-2024-thread-boston-finals?page=319) the NBA an average of $2.5 billion a year to show around 100 games per season – half of which that would air exclusively on Peacock, an individual familiar with the terms confirmed to TheWrap. The games would air on NBC on Tuesdays and Sundays to avoid conflicting with the network’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Amazon would pay $1.8 billion for regular season and playoff games, the new NBA in-season tournament and “play-in” games where teams compete for the final payoff spots. The tech giant would also be given a share of the conference finals, which the media partners would split in a rotation, people familiar told the Journal.

Meanwhile, Disney would pay about $2.6 billion per year to continue to air the NBA Finals, up from its current $1.5 billion. The company would get fewer games than its current deal and ESPN would air games on its upcoming direct-to-consumer service slated to launch in 2025, the Journal said.

The deals, which would also include rights to WNBA telecasts, would go into effect after the 2024-2025 season. The new agreements could translate to a 2.5 times increase in annual fees for the NBA to an average of nearly $7 billion, according to the Journal.

The outlet emphasized that owners would need to approve the deals and that any announcement could still be a few weeks away.

Representatives for NBC, Amazon and Disney declined to comment. Representatives for the NBA did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.

Warner Bros. Discovery, whose TNT network has aired NBA games since 1988, had a chance to renew its deal (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/627730/new-deal-wbd-losing-nba?page=72) before an April 22 deadline.

The David Zaslav-led media giant, which reported $43.2 billion of gross debt during its first quarter of 2024, has the opportunity to match either NBC or Amazon’s bids, which could potentially result in a legal battle to enforce those rights, the Journal notes. WBD would have five days from when the deals with Amazon and NBC are formalized to match, CNBC reported.

In an April 30 research note, Citigroup analyst Jason Bazinet estimated that WBD losing the NBA could potentially cost them roughly $270 million in ad revenue per year and that TNT could see a roughly 45% decline in affiliate fees.

Without the NBA, the company could look to sublicense more sports, similar to the recent agreement it struck with ESPN for College Football Playoff games, or bid for other sports rights that come up for renewal, such as the UFC.

“We feel very comfortable and we’ve been very strategically focused on making sure that we have a robust offering of sports for each our sports channels in the U.S. and around the world,” Zaslav told Bernstein’s 40th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference.

In addition to the NBA, Warner currently has rights to NASCAR, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and the March Madness college basketball tournament. Warner is also currently in exclusive negotiations with All Elite Wrestling.

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/warner-bros-discovery-nba-rights-package-games-1236028248/

As Warner struggles for a broadcasting package (https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=b5d4132325b5528c&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJdFRb4X_D2o16XDS8NHzsjEpDofw:1717911725001&q=NBA+TNT&tbm=nws&source=lnms&prmd=nvisbmtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif6_7w582GAxWtKEQIHc0VIMkQ0pQJegQIDhAB&biw=1600&bih=773&dpr=1), the NBA has not been pleased (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1db8h66/as_warner_struggles_for_a_broadcasting_package/) with their interactions in the past 2 years since Zaslav took over the combined Warner Bros-Discovery. They are dismayed with an exodus of Warner’s top sports executives and staffers as WBD trims costs

Everything you need to know about the NBA’s new broadcast rights package (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/new-broadcast-rights-package-espn-amazon-nbc.html)

The deal (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1e03e4g/nba_finalizes_tv_deals_with_espn_nbc_amazon_but/) is expected to be announced in advance of the Paris Olympics (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/07/nba-media-rights-deals-finalized-espn-nbc-amazon-tnt/) unless Warner Bros. Discovery mounts a hail mary challenge using its matching rights (https://www.resetera.com/threads/nyt-nba-finalizes-tv-deals-with-espn-nbc-amazon-but-tnt-could-still-match.924111/).

By Brendon Kleen on 07/10/2024

The NBA has finalized its agreements (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-nbc-and-amazon-nearing-agreement-on-11-year-nba-media-rights-for-around-76-billion-dollars.2916703/page-6) with Disney, NBC Universal, and Amazon Prime Video on a new broadcast rights package that will bring in $76 billion (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1e08wba/reports_nba_reaches_76b_media_rights_deal/) over the next 11 years, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5629508/2024/07/10/nba-tv-deal-espn-nbc-amazon-tnt/).

Team governors are expected to vote to approve the new contracts this week at the Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas at the NBA Summer League. The new package would go into effect for the 2025-26 season.

Disney will reportedly retain the NBA Finals (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1e03ewd/marchand_news_the_nba_has_finalized_contracts/) on ABC and one conference finals series while NBC and Prime Video will alternate the other conference finals series. Prime Video will be the exclusive home of the league’s new In-Season Tournament, and the early rounds of the postseason will likely be spread among all three broadcast partners.

One remaining question would be which broadcaster carries the Play-In Tournament, which the NBA has sold sponsorships for and is attempting to package as a standalone product between the last weekend of the regular season and the first weekend of the playoffs.

TNT Sports will have one final opportunity to mount a legal dispute over its matching rights (https://awfulannouncing.com/warner-bros-discovery/wbd-match-amazon-nba-deal.html) on the new deal, per Marchand. Once team governors approve the contracts, they will be sent to Warner Bros. Discovery, which has five days in which it “may attempt to use language in the current contract to remain involved with the NBA.”

Marchand reported the NBA hopes to formally announce the new package in advance of the Paris Olympics, which begin July 26.

NBA fans can expect national broadcasts each night of the week (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1e05aka/nba_to_have_national_tv_games_every_day_of_the/), especially once the football season is over. NBC will own Mondays, while its Peacock streaming service takes Tuesday nights. ESPN will retain its regular Wednesday night window in addition to Fridays after college football ends as well as Saturday and Sunday games, which typically air on ABC. Prime Video will also stream games on Fridays and Saturdays during the regular season, and slot the NBA into its big Thursday night package after its Thursday Night Football NFL package ends in January.

ESPN reduced its inventory from around 100 games to around 80 to make space for a third partner, per Marchand. Still, Disney will pay the most for NBA rights at $2.6 million annually. NBC will pay $2.5 million annually while Amazon will pay $1.8 billion. The total sum (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/06/why-nba-media-rights-worth-76-billion-despite-finals-ratings-explainer/) is significantly more than media analysts projected in recent years as the league’s television ratings fell.

As TNT is phased out and two partners come aboard, the NBA broadcast talent arms race will begin over the next year-plus leading up to the start of the new deals next fall. If WBD does not mount an effort to match (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/tnt-matching-rights-amazon-nbc.html), next season would be the last for the beloved Inside the NBA studio show (https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/inside-the-nba-signs-off-future-jokes.html) and make its announcing teams free agents as well (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/handicapping-charles-barkley-next-landing-spot.html).

NBC’s return to the world of NBA rights also means we’re likely to see the return of John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” to its original home (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/john-tesh-roundball-rock-nba-le-batard.html).

TNT Sports to match Amazon's NBA media rights package, leading to "NBA staredown" (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5651014/2024/07/22/nba-tnt-sports-amazon-media-rights-deal-match/#:~:text=TNT%20Sports%20has%20informed%20the,briefed%20on%20the%20move%20said.)

TNT Sports has informed (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/07/nba-wbd-matching-rights-tnt-amazon-media-rights-deal/) the NBA (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1e9nm83/marchand_tnt_sports_has_informed_the_nba_it_plans/) it plans to use its matching rights (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/warner-bros-discovery-officially-matches-amazons-nba-broadcast-rights-bid.html) to continue broadcasting (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/627730/new-deal-wbd-agreement-principle?page=82) the league games. The network is targeting (https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/will-the-nba-return-to-nbc.771068/page-5) the 11-year package (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-nbc-and-amazon-nearing-agreement-on-11-year-nba-media-rights-for-around-76-billion-dollars.2916703/page-7) signed by (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/07/news-wbd-nba-match-greg-amsinger-tbs-cw-college-football/) Amazon Prime Video, sources briefed on the move said.

NBA Rejects Warner Bros. Discovery’s Rights Proposal: “Did Not Match Terms” of Amazon Deal (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nba-responds-warner-bros-discovery-tnt-sports-match-bid-1235957145/)

From The Athletic – “Before making its (https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/will-the-nba-return-to-nbc.771068/page-5) official announcement (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1ebbuyo/nbapr_the_nba_today_announced_the_renewal_of_its/), the NBA sent TNT its reasons (https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1ebbjyc/reynolds_nba_statement_warner_bros_discoverys/) for rejecting (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/07/nba-rejects-wbd-match-amazon-rights-deal/) the broadcasters’ matching proposal, according to sources briefed on the interactions between (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/627730/new-deal-wbd-agreement-principle?page=86) the league and the network (https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=d8b6740b587384a7&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIKDjoHI4OaZITmKvIfClq8nGx1LeA:1721866900196&q=nba+on+tnt&tbm=nws&source=lnms&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWtG_mNb-HwafvV8cKK_h1a5eSkyfXNgRC6a9SKsMT7FKel2oEVH7CAeL9GJLZ9zSE1b0VTwOacLkI4XgtHWeWNmKPMmJVT-fsL2j8HgVBOedFE0rcv3l9ce7iX7VQHiBT41qOitP2uFNPJwqo3Nj1J21-Gh5tg3bNyqf1kLEJ7mR0Orp4LTigYJIGRfW985SFZs7PWg&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjF8r6H9sCHAxX_IzQIHRbOCU0Q0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1920&bih=1065&dpr=1). The NBA told TNT Sports (https://www.resetera.com/threads/thr-nba-rejects-warner-bros-discovery%E2%80%99s-rights-proposal-%E2%80%9Cdid-not-match-terms%E2%80%9D-of-amazon-deal.936021/) it was rejecting its offer (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/espn-nbc-and-amazon-in-agreement-on-11-year-nba-media-rights-for-around-76-billion-dollars.2916703/page-8) for three main reasons. First, TNT wanted to put all of its games on its cable network and its streaming service, Max, whereas Amazon is just a streaming service. Second, the NBA believes that Amazon’s reach is greater. Third, Amazon offered to pay in full its first three years, while Warner Bros. Discovery, which is in debt, provided a three-year line of credit.”

Please, please put those Tuesday NBA games on USA Network instead of NBC. This is because USA Network is losing WWE Raw to Netflix and WWE NXT to The CW, thereby creating some big empty holes on USA.

Putting those Tuesday NBA games on NBC is only going to tighten space for scripted programming worse than it already is (with the three Chicago shows on Wednesday and the two Law & Order shows on Thursday), and pretty soon there will come a broadcast season where no new series-es are launched on NBC because of this. This will also mean that The Voice will definitely have to be cut back to one night per week.

NBC has yet to strike a deal for John Tesh's "Roundball Rock," despite saying the iconic theme song will return for its NBA coverage (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/14/cnbc-sport-nbc-still-doesnt-havent-a-deal-for-john-teshs-roundball-rock.html)

When NBC re-acquired NBA rights in July, the network announced that Tesh's "Roundball Rock" theme would return (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nba-return-roundball-rock-theme-john-tesh.html). "Now, here’s the surprise: I’m told NBC Sports still doesn’t have a deal to bring back Tesh’s tune," reports CNBC's Alex Sherman "While NBC Sports promised the song would be returning, executives have only assured Tesh they will negotiate with him for the rights in good faith. There have been some talks between the sides, which are ongoing, but Tesh is asking for a lot, and NBC Sports isn’t wedded to the theme at all costs, I’m told. Tesh already re-recorded the theme (https://x.com/sherman4949/status/1815479044441567544) with a symphony orchestra in Nashville earlier this year." Sherman adds that Tesh may even license "Roundball Rock" to another media company — though, as Sherman points out, the only realistic option is Amazon, which is required to create a new theme song for its NBA package.

NBC hires Jamal Crawford for its return to NBA broadcasting (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5983978/2024/12/10/nba-coverage-nbc-jamal-crawford-reggie-miller/)

The TNT Sports and NBA TV vet is expected to call games for NBC's new NBA package.

Why is Comcast/NBCUniversal spinning-off its cable properties (https://deadline.com/2024/11/comcast-to-spin-off-cable-networks-in-major-restructuring-linear-assets-1236182014/) just as NBC is forced to tighten its primetime schedule for scripted shows (new and existing) all because of that NBA Tuesday package NBC is getting next season? A package like that is NOT well-suited for a broadcast network. Only a cable network or SVoD service. Comcast is messing up royally here. NBC having both the weekly Tuesday AND Sunday NBA games at the expense of its future scripted programming will only hasten the decline of American broadcast television.

NBC hires Carmelo Anthony as an NBA studio analyst (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6134342/2025/02/13/nbc-pregame-nba-carmelo-anthony/)

The retired NBA superstar will serve as one of NBC's top studio analysts when the network returns to broadcasting NBA games next season.

Noah Eagle officially joins NBA on NBC team (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/on-nbc-noah-eagle.html)

The rising sports broadcaster will be one of the lead play-by-play voices when the NBA returns to NBC this fall.

Monday musings: How the new NBA on NBC can avoid the nostalgia trap (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/05/monday-musings-nba-nbc-reboot-nostalgia/)

Sports Media Watch presents thoughts on recent events in the industry, starting with nostalgia and the new edition of the “NBA on NBC.”

The “Frasier” reboot, now consigned to the relaxation grotto in the sky (https://deadline.com/2025/01/frasier-canceled-paramount-plus-no-season-3-shopped-new-home-1236260286/), looked and sounded familiar. Every episode would begin with an animated outline of the home skyline against a black background, accompanied by a radio jingle. There were the title cards between scenes, eschewing the traditional sitcom combo of music and establishing shot. There was of course the “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” crooning over an otherwise silent end credits sequence. What it lacked was the writing, the impeccable casting, the comic timing, the reason for existing — any of the qualities that made the original so beloved during its run from 1993-2004.

All of the aesthetic touches in the original were not only new and different in 1993, they had something to say about the character. Frasier was modern, cultured, the ultimate effete elite. The aesthetics matched, whether in his apartment or in structuring the show itself. Compare that to the show on which the character originated, “Cheers” — with its amber-tinted, wistful opening credits sequence and scenic shots of Boston between scenes.

What did the aesthetics connote in the reboot? Frasier did not have a radio show anymore, so why the jingle? He hardly spent any time engaged in his cultural pastimes, so why the title cards? His linkage to psychiatry became surface level, so why is he still singing about “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs”? The only answer is because those were in the original series and people seemed to like it.

One might wonder why on earth a sports TV column would begin with three paragraphs about a canceled reboot, but the takeaway is that nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia risks becoming a poor imitation of the original.

The past several years has seen any number of reboots of beloved NBC series, from “Frasier” to “Will & Grace” to “Night Court.” The latest is the “NBA on NBC,” which during its 12 seasons (one more than “Frasier”) became the NBA telecast of record — benefiting from a confluence of circumstances that will be hard to replicate. Not just the rise of Michael Jordan, who won all six of his titles on the network, but also the rise of NBC Sports into a sports television force on par with ABC in the Roone Arledge era. An NBC Sports led by Dick Ebersol that employed Bob Costas, Marv Albert, Hannah Storm and even for a time Greg Gumbel — all at their respective peaks.

Perhaps most importantly, an NBC that knew exactly what tone it wanted for the NBA and stuck to it. It was not just “Roundball Rock,” or the pregame teases, the announcers, or even the games, but the combination thereof under “one operating principle,” as Dick Ebersol said in his 2022 autobiography:

[T]he idea that the league — the partner — always came first. Every idea we had, every innovation we wanted to consider, every decision we wanted to make, had to first be run through the prism of: Is it good for the league? The league came first in everything; after all, it was “the NBA on NBC.”

That may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but consider how often rights partners make decisions that are not best for a given league — from remote broadcasts during the playoffs to limited television coverage. NBC’s white glove treatment of the NBA was evident in all aspects of the network’s coverage. Storytelling instead of argument, promotion over punditry, a focus on the game instead of the network carrying it. All else flows from there.

After 17 long years with CBS — a partnership that, with all due respect to Brent Musburger, Dick Stockton and company, should have never happened (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/06/nba-matching-rights-1970s-abc-negotiations-roones-revenge-wbd/) — the NBA entered the NBC era sorely in need of some TLC. Even though CBS had by the end begun to improve its NBA broadcast, most of its run was spent holding the league at arm’s length. Even after losing rights, CBS Sports president Neil Pilson — per Ebersol — brushed off the loss because the future of the league was “in Cleveland and Utah.” (Of course, NBC could have made a gourmet meal out of even a Cavaliers-Jazz series.)

NBC saw potential in the NBA that CBS was never going to tap. The league never had a partner who treated it like a top priority and put the requisite effort into production, scheduling and promotion. NBC changed that.

The new version of the NBA on NBC returns at a similar moment for the league. After 23 long years, the NBA of 2025 needs as much TLC as in 1990, with ESPN/ABC having largely abandoned what made NBC’s run so successful, and both ESPN and TNT analysts having taken the NBA to the rhetorical woodshed on any number of recent occasions.

So what is the one operating principle for the new NBA on NBC? To judge by NBC Sports president Rick Cordella, to make the games seem big again.

“I’m not talking negatively about ESPN or Turner, how they do their coverage of the NBA,” Cordella said to CNBC’s Alex Sherman last week (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/04/30/cnbc-sport-nbc-sports-president-rick-cordella.html), “but I’ve gotten caught in these rabbit holes on YouTube looking at a Bob Costas narration leading into the Eastern Conference Game 7. Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, one man left standing, and you feel like it’s a heavyweight fight, you’re on the edge of your seat — and the laser NBC Sports logo goes on, John Tesh’s Roundball Rock plays through, the NBA on NBC [voice over] with Jim Fagan — all that is part of what sort of made that event feel big. Our goal at NBC Sports is to make big events feel big and be big. So we’re going to bring a lot of that back.”

From the return of “Roundball Rock” to showing pregame introductions and bringing back the dramatic tease, the new “NBA on NBC” is clearly inspired by the old. Yet there is some danger in that approach. If the operating principle of the new NBA on NBC is nostalgia, the reboot will fail like so many others. Instead, there must be a broader purpose behind them.

“Roundball Rock” is a basketball anthem on par with “Heavy Action,” and its absence from NBA games the past two decades has been entirely unnecessary. (John Tesh offered to license it to ESPN/ABC when it began its coverage in 2002, but the company decided to set out on an ultimately failed quest for its own sound.)

Yet “Roundball Rock,” stripped of its context, is just a song. Does anyone get ‘chills’ or feel pangs of nostalgia hearing it before a Xavier-Providence game on FOX, or during a Kevin Hart-fronted gambling ad, or during NBC’s commercial Saturday in which it was being hummed by the stars of Dick Wolf procedurals and Bravo reality shows?

The context that made “Roundball Rock” so memorable was the buildup. “I don’t think a network could possibly do a better job of presenting and legitimately — not hype — legitimately dramatizing a league,” longtime NBA on NBC voice Bob Costas said on the Sports Media Watch Podcast earlier this year (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/03/bob-costas-interview-sports-media-watch-podcast/). “You know, all those openings that people miss and they hope that NBC reprises them, those dramatic openings, they weren’t bulls**t. They took stuff that was true and amplified it and dramatized it. It was a combination of a form of journalism, but also theater.”

NBC opens were not mere purple prose and evocative music; they dove into the histories of the players, coaches, teams, the league, even sometimes the broader community. For the network’s final open in 2002, Costas compared the soon-to-be-threepeating Lakers to other dynasties in league history (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REoF_wAhBx4), from the Mikan-era Lakers to Russell’s Celtics — and that was no aberration. Ahead of the Bulls’ first title in 1991, Costas’ open chronicled the history of the team and the greats who had failed along the way (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBegoCHqgOw). It was characteristic of NBC under Ebersol, which to quote Bryan Curtis (https://www.theringer.com/2024/05/16/nba/nba-nbc-media-rights-deal), “had styled itself as the thinking man’s sports division.”

By contrast, a dramatic open done just for its own sake can lapse into melodrama. Here is how ABC opened Game 4 of the NBA Finals in the first year of the current rights deal — 2003 (https://youtu.be/N5OQ2Fti8hE?si=LxNkrtAM0F3RZgMk&t=40):

After capturing the advantage in enemy territory, the Lords of the East return to their castle, only to let a critical moment slip from their grasp. Those in black unleashed their wrath, defended the high ground, took what they wanted, and left the field of battle. One more notch in their belts, one step closer to the prize. Now the white knights must reawaken their thirst for the Grail and for revenge, and a soft-spoken leader must turn his potential into punishment, his desire into destruction, his vengeance into victory. Retribution must be swift, for there’s a reason they call these the finals.

Light on insight, high on hyperbole.

It is not enough to do these things just for the sake of doing them. To achieve the highest-quality broadcast — which NBC did in its prior iteration — things must be done with a specific approach in mind. To replicate what NBC did in its original run is going to require bucking broadcasting trends of the past 30 years, including setting aside commercial time for what is ultimately, as Costas described it, journalism. In this industry, journalism is a losing horse (literally, if one watched the race on Saturday). Yet it was a crucial component of NBC’s success.

There is a general belief that journalism is bad for leagues, as it tends to uncover unflattering information — and that is to an extent true. But journalism is also the hard work of properly contextualizing the players and the game within a sprawling history, taking the time and effort to avoid simplistic narratives that devolve into mere heckling. If one has a good story to tell, and most sports generally do (at least on the field of play), journalism is putting the league first — rather than taking the easy road of pop star anthems, sponsored segments and “GOAT” debates.

NBC, as Bryan Curtis aptly described (https://www.theringer.com/2024/05/16/nba/nba-nbc-media-rights-deal), “could promote basketball in the kind of glossy, literate way that made you forget the network was promoting anything. This is sports TV’s sweet spot, that intoxicating mixture of (some) journalism and (a lot of) capitalism, all tied together with a great theme song.”

The standard NBC set in its first run with the NBA is not one that can be replicated easily. The success of this reboot will rely on understanding why the fondly-remembered aspects of the original resonated. Otherwise, “Roundball Rock” on NBC will be no different than it is for a Seton Hall game on FS1.


NBA on NBC will use AI to bring back original promo voice Jim Fagan (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/nbc-ai-bring-back-original-promo-voice-jim-fagan.html)

NBC officially announces ‘Roundball Rock’ will return with NBA coverage (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/roundball-rock-return-nba-coverage.html)

Don't expect Michael Jordan to be a weekly presence on NBA on NBC with his new "special contributor" role (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/michael-jordan-nbc-role-details.html)

The NBA icon's new gig that was announced Monday appears to be a part-time job.


NBC’s NBA deal could come at the cost of entertainment jobs (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nba-rights-entertainment-layoffs.html)

NBC’s sports future tied to the NBA and Peacock (https://awfulannouncing.com/peacock/nba-on-nbc-upfront-sports-future.html)

Now that the NBA's takeover of NBC Tuesdays is all but confirmed (https://deadline.com/2025/05/nbc-fall-2025-schedule-nba-the-voice-svu-one-chicago-1236392061/) for the next decade, is there anything prohibiting NBC and/or Comcast from moving those Tuesday games to USA Network or Bravo (the latter of which I'm surprised isn't part of this new "Versant (https://deadline.com/2025/05/comcast-spinoff-versant-1236387213/)" company) before that deal expires?

Takeaways from the first NBA schedule of the new rights deal (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/08/nba-schedule-changes-new-media-rights-deal-nbc-prime/)

by Jon Lewis 5 days ago

The NBA unveiled (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/08/nba-schedule-changes-new-media-rights-deal-nbc-prime/) the schedule for the 2025-26 regular season (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/tv-schedules/nba-tv-schedule/) on Thursday, featuring two new broadcast partners and several changes to a two-decade status quo. Here is a detailed breakdown.

Broadcast television tonnage

The most consequential change in the new media rights deal is a dramatic increase in games on broadcast television. This season, 80 regular season games will be carried on broadcast television in at least part of the country, including 38 that will air nationwide.

NBC (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/08/nbc-nba-return-details-announced/)

New broadcast partner NBC will account for most of those games, 58 in total. Of those, 42 will air as part of the network’s “Coast 2 Coast Tuesdays,” a split doubleheader in which most affiliates will receive only one game. (That includes one Monday night that will use the same format.) Most weeks, the regional split will include one game at 8 PM ET in the Eastern and Central time zones and another at 8 PM PT — 11 PM ET — in the Mountain and Pacific.

Of those 11 PM ET games, all will be hosted by the NBA’s Pacific time zone teams, meaning multiple NBC games for low-profile teams like the Kings and Trail Blazers (four each). Opponents will include some Central time zone teams — with the Mavericks, Rockets, Timberwolves and Thunder each set to appear in those windows twice and the Spurs once — but none from the Eastern time zone.

NBC does have two weeks where its late game will take place at 10 PM ET, January 20 (Lakers-Nuggets) and January 27 (Clippers-Jazz).

Mountain and Pacific time zone teams will appear only once in the early game window, with the Nuggets set for an 8 PM ET game against the Mavericks on December 23.

NBC’s remaining 16 games will consist of an Opening Night doubleheader, a Martin Luther King Day tripleheader and 11 “Sunday Night Basketball” games. The “Sunday Night Basketball” slate begins with a doubleheader of Lakers-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets on February 1. After a week off for Super Bowl Sunday, NBC will then have games every Sunday the rest of the season, including the All-Star Game on February 15 and Celtics-Lakers on February 22, both of which will air adjacent to NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage.

Because NBC is airing so many games, the bar for appearing on broadcast television will be lower than in the past. All-but-six teams will appear on NBC — not a Peacock exclusive, but the actual NBC broadcast network — at least once this season, the exceptions being the Nets, Hornets, Bulls, Pelicans, Raptors and Wizards.

ABC

As for the league’s incumbent broadcast network partner, ABC is set for 23 games, including 18 outside of its five-game Christmas Day schedule. The network’s non-Christmas schedule begins with its now-customary late January Saturday tripleheader, which this year will be Knicks-Sixers, Warriors-Timberwolves and Lakers-Mavericks, with the latter of the three marking Luka Doncic’s second return to Dallas.

ABC will air its usual Saturday night and Sunday afternoon games through Selection Sunday in March, with its regular season finale of Timberwolves-Thunder set for March 15 (also Oscars Sunday).

While ABC will be off the air during March Madness, NBC will continue its “Sunday Night Basketball” schedule, including doubleheaders on Elite Eight Sunday (Knicks-Thunder and Warriors-Nuggets) and the day of the Women’s National Championship (Lakers-Mavericks — in Doncic’s third return to Dallas — and Rockets-Warriors).

Streaming over cable

After 23-straight seasons airing primarily on cable, only 55 of the NBA’s 237 national TV games this season are set to air exclusively on its lone cable partner, ESPN. ESPN games will primarily air on Wednesday nights, with five Friday doubleheaders, a Thursday Opening Week doubleheader, Sunday afternoon games on the day of the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl, and two Saturday night games — one November 8 (Suns-Clippers) and the other following the ACC Tournament final in March (Kings-Clippers).

Nearly twice as many games will air exclusively on streaming, as Prime Video (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/08/nba-announces-first-prime-video-games/) (60) and Peacock (41) will combine for 101 exclusive games. All of the Peacock exclusives are on Monday nights, save for a Saturday night Mavericks-Pistons game from Mexico City on November 1.

Prime games will air exclusively on Fridays through the end of the NFL season before branching out into Saturdays starting January 10 and Thursdays starting January 15. The Prime schedule also includes one Sunday afternoon Magic-Grizzlies game from London. Even though Prime does not carry NCAA March Madness, it will still have a two-week break between March 14 (Bucks-Hawks) and March 28 (Spurs-Bucks), and go nearly three full weeks between weeknight games.

Marquee matchups

When the NBA had only two mouths to feed, it was able to parcel out its marquee matchups equitably. That is necessarily no longer the case with three partners. ESPN/ABC will miss out on the Lakers-Celtics rivalry for the first time since 2007-08 — when neither meeting was nationally televised — as the first game will air on Prime Video and the second on NBC.

ABC will get two of the four Lakers-Warriors games, with NBC and Prime splitting the other two (NBC’s is on Opening Night). As previously noted, ABC and NBC will each get one of Luka Doncic’s two returns to Dallas, while Prime Video will get both of Anthony Davis’ returns to Los Angeles. ABC and NBC will split Lakers-Knicks, and NBC and Prime will split Warriors-Knicks.

Prime also gets the second of two NBA Finals rematches as the Pacers face the Thunder January 23. (The first, as previously announced, airs on ESPN the third day of the season.)

Other notes

The NBA’s games on the final day of the regular season — Sunday, April 12 — are scheduled for 6:00 and 8:30 PM ET. Those games contractually belong to ESPN. Not only does that mean the NBA is avoiding the final round of the Masters, it is also means that ESPN will — at least — be preempting Sunday Night Baseball that week. Far more likely is that the schedule is the first tangible sign that ESPN will not be carrying Sunday Night Baseball at all.

Beyond the regular season, ESPN/ABC said Thursday that it will carry the Eastern Conference Finals this year, meaning that NBC will by default carry the West series.

NBC execs reportedly worried NBA deal is ‘a money loser’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/execs-worried-nba-deal-money-loser.html)

"All of these deals lose money discretely."


Bob Costas: Michael Jordan’s ‘mere presence’ is a reason to watch NBA on NBC (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/bob-costas-michael-jordan-presence.html)

NBC ready to resume NBA broadcasts after two-decade pause (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/10/nba-nbc-peacock-return-two-decades/)

NBA on NBC and NBA on Amazon Prime Video aim to be an uplifting alternative to Inside the NBA. (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6733869/2025/10/21/nba-amazon-nbc-espn-schedule/)

According to sports media analysts, NBC and Amazon aim to create (https://www.google.com/search?q=NBA+on+NBC+and+NBA+on+Amazon+Prime+Video+aim+to+be+an+uplifting+alternative+to+Inside+the+NBA.&oq=NBA+on+NBC+and+NBA+on+Amazon+Prime+Video+aim+to+be+an+uplifting+alternative+to+Inside+the+NBA.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTE2MTRqMGoxNagCCLACAfEFEz4STE7ZO6vxBRM-EkxO2Tur&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) an "uplifting" alternative to Inside the NBA, which is known for its freewheeling, often critical, "hot take" culture led by Charles Barkley. With the start of the 2025-26 season, NBC and Amazon will take over some of the NBA's national media rights from TNT, while ESPN will retain a package that includes the rights to license Inside the NBA.


‘NBA Showtime’ on NBC gets off to rocky start with audio issues (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nba-showtime-rocky-start-audio-issues.html)

NBA on NBC makes the perfect intro in amazing return (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/on-nbc-makes-the-perfect-intro-in-amazing-return.html)

Michael Jordan makes NBA on NBC debut (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/michael-jordan-makes-broadcast-debut.html)

Mike Tirico hasn’t missed a beat as NBC turns in stellar NBA Opening Night broadcast (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/mike-tirico-nba-opening-night.html)

NBA on NBC and NBA on Amazon Prime Video aim to be an uplifting alternative to Inside the NBA. (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6733869/2025/10/21/nba-amazon-nbc-espn-schedule/)

According to sports media analysts, NBC and Amazon aim to create (https://www.google.com/search?q=NBA+on+NBC+and+NBA+on+Amazon+Prime+Video+aim+to+be+an+uplifting+alternative+to+Inside+the+NBA.&oq=NBA+on+NBC+and+NBA+on+Amazon+Prime+Video+aim+to+be+an+uplifting+alternative+to+Inside+the+NBA.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTE2MTRqMGoxNagCCLACAfEFEz4STE7ZO6vxBRM-EkxO2Tur&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) an "uplifting" alternative to Inside the NBA, which is known for its freewheeling, often critical, "hot take" culture led by Charles Barkley. With the start of the 2025-26 season, NBC and Amazon will take over some of the NBA's national media rights from TNT, while ESPN will retain a package that includes the rights to license Inside the NBA.


‘NBA Showtime’ on NBC gets off to rocky start with audio issues (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nba-showtime-rocky-start-audio-issues.html)

NBA on NBC makes the perfect intro in amazing return (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/on-nbc-makes-the-perfect-intro-in-amazing-return.html)

Michael Jordan makes NBA on NBC debut (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/michael-jordan-makes-broadcast-debut.html)

Mike Tirico hasn’t missed a beat as NBC turns in stellar NBA Opening Night broadcast (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/mike-tirico-nba-opening-night.html)


Debut of new NBA on NBC models old in ways that matter most (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/10/nba-nbc-return-review/)

A review of the first "NBA on NBC" (https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=NBA+on+NBC&cId=a666a041-cbb8-43af-98c3-ef3a15bbb5c0&iId=37e7b846-aa54-44fd-956b-5206f07cd964) telecast in 23 years.


NBA’s return to NBC hits Opening Night high (https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/10/nba-opening-night-viewership-high-nbc-return/)

NBC draws best NBA opening night audience since 2010 (https://awfulannouncing.com/ratings/nbc-draws-best-nba-opening-night-audience-since-2010.html)

Colin Cowherd chides NBC for dragging Michael Jordan out of retirement: ‘Turn the page on this thing’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/colin-cowherd-nbc-michael-jordan-retirement.html)

Bill Simmons on Michael Jordan’s NBC debut: ‘It doesn’t really matter what he says … I’m captivated’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/bill-simmons-michael-jordan-debut-doesnt-matter-what-he-says.html)

Noah Eagle will call the NBA All-Star Game on NBC since Mike Tirico is in Italy for the Winter Olympics (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/noah-eagle-will-call-first-nba-all-star-game.html)

Eagle will fill in on this Sunday’s All-Star Game as regular announcer Mike Tirico (https://awfulannouncing.com/news/mike-tirico-completes-incredible-super-bowl-to-olympics-turnaround.html) continues his Winter Olympics duties in Italy.

John Ourand: NFL executives ‘irritated’ by NBC’s NBA deal (https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/john-ourand-nfl-executives-irritated-nbc-nba-deal.html)

"The idea that NBC is paying more for Sunday Night Basketball than for Sunday Night Football."

Peacock’s mounting losses could reportedly push Comcast towards merger or acquisition (https://awfulannouncing.com/peacock/losses-comcast-next-move-merger-acquisition-nbc.html)

"They know they have to buy or sell, and [CEO] Brian [Roberts] has never been a seller."

2026 All-Star Game could deliver ‘monumental’ milestone for ‘NBA on NBC’ return (https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/all-star-game-monumental-milestone-return-nba.html)