Last year, the NBA signed a new 11-year media rights deal worth $77 billion that will make the league much richer and dramatically change fans' tuning habits when the 2025-26 season ends this week.
Warner Bros. cable network Discovery TNT will no longer broadcast the league's games, but its iconic studio show, Inside the NBA, lives on on ESPN.
More games will air exclusively on streaming platforms than ever before, as Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal's Peacock have significant stakes in the new deal.
Here's what you need to know before the action begins.
Roundball Rock is back
NBC is back in the NBA business after 23 years, airing up to 100 regular-season games across the broadcast network and its Peacock streaming platform. The network will air primetime games on Tuesdays starting this week and Sundays starting Feb. 1. NBCUniversal's Telemundo will broadcast 12 Sunday night NBA games in Spanish. Peacock will broadcast up to three games nationally on Mondays.
NBC will also be the new home of the NBA All-Star Game in February in Los Angeles.
John Tesh plays “Roundball Rock” in an NBC Sports commercial covering the NBA.
(NBC Sports)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in an interview that the league's move to NBC is more of a homecoming than a transition.
“Most of the DNA is still there,” Silver said. “Many of the producers we worked with over 20 years ago are still with the organization. In some ways, we can pick up where we left off.”
The network builds on its legacy as the home of the league from 1990 to 2002, when Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six championships, taking fan interest to new heights. Even Jon Tesh “Roundball Rock,” the infectious percussive theme song used at the time, returns.
Jordan was hired as a special commentator, but the network was very open about how the NBA legend would be used.
“You'll see him on opening night in some capacity,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella told The Times.
Western Conference fans should check out NBC's take on “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” telecasts beginning October 28th. On most weeks, NBC networks in the Western and Mountain time zones will show their own primetime games at 8:00 p.m., rather than the 5:00 p.m. kickoff time for East Coast contests.
Cordella noted that having separate prime-time games in two regions will help boost ratings since more people will be available to watch during those hours. Fans across the country will be able to stream both games on Peacock, no matter where they live.
New home for Inside the NBA
ESPN retained its package of regular season, playoff and NBA Finals games. But the most anticipated piece of coverage this season will be the arrival of “Inside the NBA,” which will air before and after select games on ESPN and ABC.
When TNT lost the rights to the NBA, fans of the unfiltered chatter with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith were distraught over the possibility of it ending after 36 years. ESPN reaches agreement with TNT continue production of the program in exchange for a package of college football games.
Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley in Inside the NBA.
(TNT Sport)
Beginning with Tuesday's doubleheader, “Inside the NBA” will air an hour before select games on ESPN and a half-hour before ABC telecasts.
Post-game broadcasts will be open on ESPN, while ABC will run for a half-hour and then continue on the ESPN app. The program will air 20 times during the regular season and throughout the NBA playoffs, including the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.
Tim Corrigan, ESPN's senior vice president of sports production, said at a recent press conference that nothing will change about the program other than it will appear on a new network. Along with the hosts, the graphics, music and mood will remain the same and will continue to be produced at TNT Sports Studios in Atlanta with its longtime production team.
“We want them to do their show,” Corrigan said.
All games on ESPN and ABC are available on ESPN's newly launched live streaming service, available to fans who don't have a pay-TV subscription.
NBA comes to Prime Video
Amazon is a newcomer to the market, offering 67 NBA games exclusively on Prime Video Streaming platform starting with Friday's doubleheader.
The streamer will broadcast every game of the NBA Emirates Cup playoffs, SoFi Play-In postseason tournament, and first- and second-round playoff games. Prime will also host two international NBA games this year and host the conference finals in six of the next 11 seasons.
Prime Video will include preliminary on-screen stats in its NBA coverage.
(Prime Video)
Prime has developed a number of on-screen features for its Thursday Night Football coverage, and viewers can expect the same from the NBA, where fans can access key moments from the game or get a quick look if they tune in late.
Fans who subscribe to NBA League Pass, a streaming platform that provides access to out-of-market games, can link the service with Prime Video to watch multiple games simultaneously on one screen.
Prime Video is also partnering with online sportsbook app FanDuel, giving players the ability to track the progress of their bets while watching the game. (FanDuel is not available for use in California.)
