NBA on NBC: The return of ‘Roundball Rock’ and new primetime broadcast windows

NBCUniversal and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced an 11-year agreement for NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports and Telemundo to broadcast NBA and WNBA games starting with the 2025-26 season.

The deal marks NBC’s return to NBA coverage after a two-decade hiatus.

The agreement encompasses regular-season and playoff games for both the NBA and WNBA, as well as special events like the NBA All-Star Game. It also includes rights to USA Basketball games.

Highlights of the new broadcast rights deal include: 

• 100 NBA national games per regular season across NBC and Peacock
• Approximately 50 Peacock-exclusive NBA games, including national Monday night games
• Six NBA Conference Finals series over the 11-year period
• More than 50 WNBA games per season across USA Network, Peacock, and NBC
• Three WNBA Finals series (2026, 2030, 2034)
• NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night events each season on NBC and Peacock
• USA Basketball men’s and women’s games leading up to Olympics and FIBA World Cups
• Return of the John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” theme music

The deal introduces new programming windows, including NBC/Peacock “NBA Sunday Nights,” Peacock “Monday Night NBA,” and NBC/Peacock “NBA Tuesday Nights.” These slots aim to create consistent viewing schedules for fans.

NBCUniversal plans to leverage its various platforms for game distribution. NBC will broadcast games on its main network, while Peacock will offer exclusive streaming content.

USA Network will carry WNBA games and Telemundo will present 10 games per season in Spanish.

The agreement also extends internationally, with Sky Sports set to distribute all of NBCUniversal’s NBA and WNBA games in its markets.

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This deal represents a significant shift in the NBA’s broadcast landscape, reintroducing NBC as a major player in basketball coverage.