A close-up image of a basketball.
(Stock image)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is controlling the destiny of its eponymous cable network moving forward.
On Monday, the league unveiled a revamped slate of live games and original programming that will anchor both its NBA TV cable channel and its redesigned NBA App. The move comes after Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) relinquished operational control of the network and app, which it had managed since 2008 under successive corporate entities.
WBD is also moving away from live basketball games on its TNT Sports networks after ending its multi-year deal with the NBA last season. Going forward, live games will air on Comcast’s NBC Sports and stream on Peacock and Amazon’s Prime Video as part of a new multi-year deal reached with those broadcasters and apps. The Walt Disney Company’s ESPN retained a handful of games and live events as part of the rights deal, which was announced last year.
NBA TV will air 60 regular-season games during the 2025-26 campaign, starting October 25 when the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder face the Atlanta Hawks. The channel will also feature WNBA matchups and contests from the NBA’s development league, The G League.
A new flagship program, “The Association,” will debut with hosts and contributors MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall. The show replaces “NBA Gametime Live,” which was produced by TNT Sports.
The network’s expanded lineup includes coverage of several international basketball leagues, such as Australia’s NBL, France’s LNB, Germany’s BBL, Spain’s Liga ACB, the Chinese Basketball Association and the Korean Basketball League.
“NBA TV and the NBA App are designed to be a connected, global hub for basketball coverage, delivering nonstop access to live games, original programming and exclusive behind-the-scenes content,” said Sara Zuckert, the Senior Vice President of the NBA and the Head of the NBA app. “The NBA app streaming platform will provide a seamless, always-on digital experience for fans to access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”