The NBA tips off its 2025-26 season next week on Oct. 21 under a new [11-year, $76B](/Articles/2024/07/10/nba-finalizes-media-rights-deals-nbc-espn-amazon/) media pact that ushers in a new broadcast era, blending new and returning platforms where fans will watch games. The NBA’s new media deal spreads games across ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video, reshaping traditional basketball nights, but ultimately still striving to meet fans where they’re at.
On the latest SBJ Live, SBJ’s Tom Friend moderates a roundtable with NBA EVP/Media Distribution and Partnerships Scott Kaufman-Ross, ESPN EVP/Programming and Acquisitions Rosalyn Durant, NBA on Prime Head of Sports Partnerships Charlie Neiman and NBC EVP/Programing & Rights Management Justin Byczek on upcoming changes to the NBA’s broadcast landscape, innovations to live games and studio coverage and streaming’s role in the league’s future.
Kaufman-Ross noted that the NBA’s main objectives entering negotiations were to make games accessible for fans, while also innovating the live game experience.
“Of course we had financial objectives as well, but those were the two primary objectives.” He added, “The question became who are the right partners and how many partners do you need to achieve those objectives?”
ESPN remains an incumbent partner for its 24th straight season. While scaling back some coverage, it will still air marquee matchups, including the Finals on ABC, and adds “Inside the NBA” with its signature crew to Disney-owned platforms.
Durant noted the show is “important to sports fans and important to NBA fans and it has become the signature show and the signature presence around a sport that we are heavily invested in.”
NBCUniversal returns to NBA coverage with an exclusive opening-night window on Tuesday, aiming to ride what Byczek calls a “renaissance” for broadcast TV. The network will pair its broadcast channel with Peacock and deliver two nights of primetime TV on Tuesdays and Sundays following the NFL season.
“We believe a lot in broadcast TV,” said Byczek. “While there is a little bit of that twinge and nostalgia for a bunch of people, we’re also really focused on not to get caught up in that and to make sure we’re modernizing it and bringing it forward for that next future generation of fans.”
Leading the streaming-first future is Amazon, who will inherit the Emirates Cup and more coverage of games.
“We were very cognizant and focused on we need some big tent poles to help kind of bridge the season and make this a big celebration for fans,” said Neiman. He noted Prime is investing “everything” from their AI engineers to marketing levers to produce games.
**Other notable quotes from the session**:
* **Neiman on Prime NBA games**: “Like its ‘TNF’ counterpart, games will feature a ‘rapid recap’ of an automated AI generated two-minute recap of the game to catch you up with advanced stats that you can choose to interlace into the game.”
* **Byczek on their production and innovation**: “For NBC, we always talk about storytelling as the corner part of our DNA, but the game has got to come first. And how do we take you to places as a sports fan that you can’t be? How do we continue to challenge and work with the NBA. … Peacock gives us the ability to really have a lot of fun and experiment."
* **Durant on the new ESPN app**: “Having this ESPN app experience that helps to bring to life and have features that \[the NBA\] haven’t had before with just more detailed stats, with betting, with gaming, with commerce, that will enhance the experience around the games.”