Robbie Hummel can see what J.B. Bickerstaff is drawing up in the huddle. He knows the play Detroit is running out of the timeout. He’s standing right there next to the Pistons bench, watching the whole thing unfold.
That access creates a problem most NBA analysts never have to think about.
Hummel detailed the challenges of Peacock’s “On the Bench” format during an appearance on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, explaining how the experimental broadcast setup forces him and Austin Rivers to navigate territory no other NBA broadcast crew has dealt with before. The format puts each analyst directly next to their assigned team’s bench for the entire game, sitting where the head athletic trainer usually sits, listening to everything coaches and players say during timeouts.
“We’re essentially right next to the bench,” Hummel said. “You look at who’s sitting next to me in most of my spots, and it has been the head athletic trainer. You’re right there, sitting next to the team.”
The setup eliminates most of the normal broadcast dynamics. Hummel can’t see Rivers across the scorer’s table. He can barely see play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle or Michael Grady. The only monitor he gets is the program feed, and even that depends on the arena. In Detroit, they had a table. In Brooklyn, they had to pull monitors out from under their seats. During summer league experiments, NBC tried tablets mounted on sticks.
“A three-man booth, when you do them, there’s a lot of non-verbal communication of pointing, and you take this, but you’re not able to say it,” Hummel explained. “You’re just kind of giving him the look, or you’re giving the point. That’s really not possible because I can’t see Austin from over the scorer’s table and all the people that are actually sitting in an NBA game.”
The format assigns each analyst to one team. Hummel has covered Detroit twice and Brooklyn once. Rivers has been with Cleveland, Washington, and Minnesota. They’re expected to focus their commentary primarily on their assigned team while occasionally crossing over when they see something worth mentioning about the other side.
That creates the most delicate balance. The play-by-play announcer operates as an air traffic controller, pointing at whoever should talk next. The general rule they’ve settled on is: when your team does something positive, you talk first. If you want to add something about the other side or point out a negative, the other analyst goes. But the setup means Eagle or Grady talks less than he would in a traditional broadcast, which Hummel acknowledged puts extra pressure on the play-by-play announcer.
“I do think that the person that sacrifices the most is the play-by-play guy,” Hummel said. “They probably talk less, and it’s definitely hard for them because this is a very different flow setup broadcast experience for those guys. And I give Noah Eagle and Michael Grady a ton of credit because they’ve handled it flawlessly.”
The real challenge comes at the end of games when coaches are drawing up plays in the huddle and Hummel is standing right there watching the whole thing.
Last week, Detroit and Washington went to overtime after Daniss Jenkins hit a three to tie it. Hummel was standing within shouting distance of Bickerstaff during the timeout, watching him diagram the final play. In a traditional broadcast, the analyst gets asked what the team should do in that situation. Hummel knew exactly what Detroit was running.
“In a traditional broadcast, your partner, the play-by-play guy, would say, ‘Alright Robbie, what should they do here?’ And that’s where they call it forecasting, and I can say whatever,” Hummel said. “Well, now, I know. I know what’s being run.”
They’ve settled on waiting until just before the ball gets inbounded to mention specifics. Peacock operates on a delay, so it’s not like opposing teams are watching the broadcast and somehow communicating what’s coming. But NBC has to build trust with coaches that Hummel and Rivers aren’t going to burn them by telegraphing plays before they happen.
NBC debuted “On the Bench” on Oct. 27 when Cleveland beat Detroit 116-95. The format received positive reviews from fans who appreciated the access and insight it provided. The broadcast runs exclusively on Peacock NBA Monday, with 23 games scheduled throughout the season. NBC has committed to the experiment as part of its broader strategy to differentiate its NBA coverage from ESPN and Amazon.
Whether the format works long-term depends on maintaining the trust Hummel mentioned. Coaches need to believe NBC won’t abuse the access. Viewers need to feel like they’re getting information they can’t get anywhere else. The technical challenges of coordinating three broadcasters who can’t see each other need to smooth out. The play-by-play announcer needs enough control to manage the flow without dominating the broadcast.
But the biggest test is whether Hummel and Rivers can walk the line between providing genuine insight and respecting the sanctity of what happens in huddles. They’re hearing things no other analysts hear. The question is how much of that makes it onto the broadcast without crossing the line that coaches would consider a violation of trust.
Hummel thinks they’ve found the balance so far. The coaches have been great. The play-by-play announcers have adapted. The format is still evolving with each game as they figure out what works and what doesn’t. The rhythm of when to talk and when to let the play-by-play guys control the broadcast continues to develop.
“We’ve definitely come into the flow, I think, of when your team does something positive, you talk first,” Hummel said. “And then if you want to talk the other side — the negative aspect — or you see something you want to add on, then the other guy goes.”
The experiment continues every Monday night on Peacock through April. NBC bet that unprecedented access would create compelling television. Hummel and Rivers are figuring out in real time whether that bet pays off.