Back in the Game: NBA & WNBA Strike Long-Term Broadcast Pact with NBC Universal
Basketball is returning to NBCUniversal, marking a significant milestone in the sport's history. For many, the partnership between the NBA and NBC will hold fond and familiar memories, in particular for fans of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who featured in four of the most-watched NBA Finals series in history.
The new agreement, announced on July 24th, 2024, revealed that NBC would be broadcasting NBA games live on their platforms from the beginning of the 2025-26 season through to the 2035-36 season. This came as part of a bigger deal in which the NBA also reached agreements with the Walt Disney Company and Amazon. In this article, we will dig into the specifics in more detail, particularly in regard to NBC.
Details of the Agreement
This exciting announcement from the NBA comes in the form of an 11-year media agreement, which will begin in the 2025-26 season and end in 2036. In total, the deal is worth approximately $76 billion across the 11 years, also including $200 million a year for the rights to the WNBA, which is four times more than the $50 million a year that the women’s league has been receiving in their current deal. It is a massive move for both the NBA and WNBA, bringing a vast amount of money into the sport that will only increase its already massive popularity.
The current hosts of NBA action are ABC, ESPN, and TNT, with the latter holding the rights to games ever since 1989. The NBA’s rejection of Warner Bros Discovery’s offer marks a big transition for the sport. After almost four decades of hosting the NBA, TNT's shows such as ‘Inside the NBA’ have become a staple of the sport, and the new-look offering will have big shoes to fill.
For NBCUniversal, this new deal brings the NBA back onto their channels for the first time in over two decades. NBC was the home of the NBA for many of the sport’s most memorable moments, thanks largely to the career of Michael Jordan, who is undoubtedly the main character in the story of the sport's long history.
As part of the new agreement, NBCUniversal will play host to a lot of NBA action across the year. This includes:
- NBA Regular Season: 100 NBA national games each regular season across NBC and Peacock.
- WNBA: 50+ WNBA regular-season and first-round playoff games across USA Network, Peacock, and NBC, in addition to three WNBA finals series in 2026, 2030, and 2034.
- Opening Night Doubleheaders: Exclusively on NBC.
- NBA All-Star Weekend: NBA All-Star Game and all the exciting competitions of All-Star Saturday.
- Playoff Games: Approximately 28 first and second-round playoff games per year.
- Conference Finals: One of the two conference finals series in six of the 11 years starting from the 2025-26 season.
- USA Basketball: USA Basketball men’s and women’s games
Distribution Across Platforms
- NBC: Premier matchups, including Sunday and Tuesday night games, opening night doubleheaders, and key playoff games.
- Peacock: Streaming Monday night doubleheaders, select Tuesday night games, and other exclusive content.
- USA Network: Regular-season games and select playoff matchups.
- Sky Sports: Exclusive coverage in the UK, including regular-season and playoff games.
- Telemundo: Spanish-language broadcasts of select NBA and WNBA games.
Impact on Viewers
In announcing this new deal, the NBA has proudly revealed that the amount of games shown on broadcast television is increasing from 15 to approximately 75. With NBC, ESPN, and ABC all showing games throughout the week, access has never been better. Most TV packages will include those channels, which means weekly NBA entertainment will be available to most households with a TV.
For die-hard fans who want to watch every game, we are still awaiting news on what NBA League Pass will look like. Otherwise, it will be a case of having to add a couple of new subscriptions to your entertainment package, with Peacock ($7.99 a month) taking Monday night doubleheaders and Amazon Prime ($8.99 a month) getting 66 games as well.
For the many people who already subscribe to those services, access to NBA games has just been greatly increased. Peacock users will now be able to stream games live or watch replays on-demand, and Spanish-speaking fans can enjoy 10 live games each season in their native language through Telemundo Broadcasts.
Subscription Options
To watch the NBA and WNBA on NBC, fans have several choices. Most cable, satellite, and streaming platforms will feature NBC and USA Network, alongside a vast array of other channels. These come in all different shapes and sizes, but our typical suggestions range from Sling TV at $55 a month up to the likes of Verizon Fios, Fubo TV, and DirecTV, which range from $69 a month to $159.99 a month.
For users who want to save money and are not interested in the vast array of other channels, then a simple subscription to Peacock is a great option. Peacock starts at $7.99 a month or $79.99 per year for the service without ads and goes up to $13.99 a month or £139.99 per year without ads. Unfortunately, Peacock does not offer a free trial.
Conclusion
The NBA’s return to NBC is a big moment for the sport and for fans who enjoy the deep sense of nostalgia associated with the broadcaster. The new deal, which includes agreements with Amazon and Disney, greatly expands the viewing options available to fans, most notably increasing the number of games broadcasted on television from 15 to approximately 75. It is a big change for fans who have been used to TNT as the home of basketball for almost four decades, but, for many, a return to NBC will be very much welcomed. Especially, given NBC has confirmed the return of the iconic “Roundball Rock” theme music.
Author: Venuse, Inc.