MILWAUKEE—The Milwaukee Bucks will return to a full-season over-the-air television for the first time in 31 years, with 2026-27 preseason and regular season games airing on MY24 and statewide affiliates as part of a deal with the Rincon Broadcasting Group.

“We’re excited to bring the Bucks back to MY24,” Rincon Broadcasting Group CEO Kern Dant said. “This is more than a television partnership. It’s the return of a Milwaukee tradition. Welcome home, Bucks fans.”

MY24 first served as the over-the-air broadcast home of the Bucks from 1988-94.

With the new deal, viewers in the Milwaukee area will be able to watch Bucks games over-the-air on MY24 and on most major cable systems and YouTube TV during the 2026- 27 season.

The over-the-air broadcasts will tip off on MY24 during Bucks games at the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, beginning on Sunday, July 12, against the San Antonio Spurs at 8 p.m. CT. The Bucks will then play the Phoenix Suns on Monday, July 13, at 9 p.m. CT and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Good Karma Brands will work with the Bucks to lead media and advertising sales and develop a full state-wide network of affiliates, helping connect advertisers with one of the NBA's most passionate fan bases through the new statewide video broadcast network. The Bucks will also develop a direct-to-consumer streaming service to further expand access to Bucks games, with additional details to be announced at a later date.

“This season marks an exciting return to our roots as we bring Bucks basketball back to full-season over-the-air television for the first time in more than three decades,” said Bucks and Fiserv Forum president Josh Glessing. “We’re grateful to our partners at Rincon Broadcasting Group for helping us make Bucks games more accessible to our fans throughout Wisconsin.”

New data from Nielsen shows the New York Knicks triumph over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals attracted the largest audiences since the Michael Jordan era in 1998, with all five games averaging 20.6 million for ABC and ESPN. That was up 157% over last year.

Saturday’s NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC delivered an average audience of 24.5 million viewers and peaked with 33 million viewers watching the closing moments of the New York Knicks Championship victory, the teams first in 53 years. It was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 5 since 1998 as well.

Game 5 also generated the largest viewing audience of the day across all of television and in every key male and adult demo, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

The Game 4, which saw the Knicks make a record breaking comeback from a 29 point deficit, was up 123% from last year’s Game 4 with 20.9 million viewers and peaked with 23.2 million viewers at 11:15 p.m. ET.

NEW YORK—They may have fallen short in the Western Conference finals, but the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the list of most-watched NBA teams in 2025-26, drawing 1.8 million viewers per game in the regular season, according to Nielsen viewing data.

The No. 2 team was the Los Angeles Lakers—the team that boasted the most-watched player, per Nielsen, in LeBron James—followed by the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks.

Another participant in this week’s NBA Finals, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, trailed James as the league’s second-most-watched player.

Nielsen’s Spring 2026 “Tops of Sports’ report also noted double-digit growth in viewership across pro basketball (up 27%), NHL hockey (25%), auto racing (44%) and golf (12%*), fueled by new streaming and broadcast options, the massive popularity of global stars and changing ways that fans follow their favorite teams.

More specifically, the NBA’s average audience for regular-season games was up 27%, with the early rounds of the playoffs seeing a 10% bump. The league benefited from new media-rights deals that helped it reach younger viewers on streamers Prime Video, Peacock and ESPN Unlimited while still drawing larger audiences on broadcasters ABC and NBC and cable network ESPN.

The NHL is also experiencing a major boost, with average regular-season viewership up 25% to 540,000 viewers per game, and the first round of the playoffs up 77%, to 1.2 million viewers. The growth was bolstered by significant cultural moments involving hockey, such as the gold medal wins by the U.S. men’s and women’s ice hockey teams at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Prime Video’s hit series “Off-Campus” and drama series “Heated Rivalry” on HBO Max, which notched nearly 2 billion streaming minutes in the first quarter, Nielsen said.

Followers of the NHL’s official TikTok account were up 83% this season, Nielsen reported. Further demonstrating America’s growing interest, the national TV debut of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) drew about 133,000 viewers to Ion, with 45% of the audience women 18-plus. In addition, demonstrating the buying power of hockey fans, NHL viewers rank No. 3 in median income among all sports watchers.

Last year’s Indianapolis 500 averaged more than 7 million viewers, the most in 17 years. The 2026 IndyCar season is already off to a strong start, with the first five races averaging 1.2 million viewers, 44% higher than the same period in 2025. Viewer interest is also rising, with 19% of respondents reporting being somewhat or very interested in IndyCar this March, up from 15% in March of 2023.

So far this year, the PGA Tour is averaging 1.5 million viewers. Efforts to evolve the franchise’s social media presence may be paying off, as Nielsen Scarborough data shows a steady increase in interest since 2023. *An influx of young Asian talent like Collin Morikawa, Akshay Bhatia, and Si Woo Kim looks to be helping to expand the tour’s audience, with Asian viewership to PGA Tour events up 12% so far this year.

DETROIT—The Detroit Pistons have announced a new local media television rights agreement with Scripps Sports beginning with the 2026‑27 NBA season. The deal returns Pistons basketball to local free, over‑the‑air television for the first time since 2005

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement is part of an ongoing push by Scripps to expand its sports programming. Notably, the deal is Scripps’ eighth with a major professional league franchise and its first with an NBA team.

In addition to the Pistons, this lineup includes: WNBA (Las Vegas Aces), NHL (Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, Nashville Predators) and NWSL (Denver Summit).

Under the agreement with the Pistons, WMYD TV20 Detroit, owned and operated by The E.W. Scripps Company, will become the official local broadcast home of the Detroit Pistons. TV20 Detroit will produce and air all locally available pre-season and regular season games.

Fans will be able to watch games for free via over‑the‑air television as well as through participating cable and satellite providers in Detroit, the Detroit metro area and the state of Michigan.

Scripps, which operates both TV20 Detroit and WXYZ (Detroit’s ABC affiliate), said it will pair WXYZ’s award-winning local news leadership with TV20 Detroit’s broadcast platform to deliver comprehensive Pistons coverage for fans throughout the market.

“This partnership with Scripps Sports is an exciting moment for the Detroit Pistons,” said Arn Tellem, vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons. “Basketball has always been deeply woven into the fabric of our city, and we’re proud to expand access to our games. We look forward to partnering with Scripps to deliver outstanding broadcasts and programming that reflects the energy, pride and passion of Detroit.”

“Over-the-air broadcasting has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to connect sports teams with their fans,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “As we are seeing right now, the fandom around the Pistons is high and every fan deserves to have access to Detroit Pistons games. Scripps Sports is proud to partner with the Pistons to deliver their games to more fans than ever before – because the best team in the East deserves the best broadcast platform in the NBA.”

As part of the partnership, the Pistons and Scripps Sports will produce comprehensive game‑day coverage, including pregame, in‑game and postgame programming. The agreement also includes a weekly, half‑hour Pistons show, along with original team‑focused content integrated across broadcasts and digital programming across Scripps’ family of channels.

STAMFORD, Conn.—NBC Sports is reporting that it averaged 4.9 million viewers through its first 13 games of the NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock, which it said was up 58% vs. comparable coverage last year from April 19 to 28 and the most-watched for comparable windows since 1996.

The comparison is to games airing on other outlets because this is the first time in 24 years that NBC Sports is presenting the NBA Playoffs.

NBC Sports’ second week of NBA Playoffs coverage, April 25-28, averaged 4.9 million viewers for seven games across NBC and Peacock, the most-watched for comparable windows since 2001.

Following are viewership* highlights for NBC Sports’ NBA Playoffs coverage from Saturday, April 25, through Tuesday, April 28 (all viewership is Total Audience Delivery across NBC and Peacock unless noted):

• Thunder-Suns Game 3 (Saturday, April 25, 3:30-6:08 pm ET) averaged 3.3 million viewers, up 64% vs. the comparable game last year and making it the most-watched game in the comparable window since 2014. It peaked at 4.5 million viewers.
• Knicks-Hawks Game 4 (Saturday, April 25, 6:08-9:00 pm ET) peaked at 5.8 million viewers and averaged 5.3 million, up 58% vs. the comparable game last year and making it the most-watched game in the comparable window since 2001.
• Celtics-76ers Game 4 (Sunday, April 26, 7:00-9:38 pm ET) peaked at 7.0 million viewers and averaged 6.3 million for the game, making it the most-watched game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs to date and the most-watched First Round Game 4 in primetime ever.
• Lakers-Rockets Game 4 (Sunday, April 26, 9:38pm-12:20am ET) peaked at 7.2 million viewers -- the highest peak of the 2026 NBA Playoffs to date – and averaged 6.2 million for the game, up 128% vs. the comparable game last year and making it the second-most-watched game of the playoffs to date.
• The two-game average of 6.2 million viewers for Sunday, April 26 ranks as the most-watched second Sunday of the NBA Playoffs since 2002.
• Pistons-Magic Game 4 (Monday, April 27, 8:00-10:59 pm ET) peaked at 6.8 million viewers and averaged 5.4 million, up 155% vs. the comparable game last season and making it the most-watched Round 1 Game 4 on a weekday ever.
• Timberwolves-Nuggets Game 5 (Monday, April 27, 10:59pm-1:21am ET) peaked at 5.2 million viewers and averaged 3.9 million.
• Hawks-Knicks Game 5 (Tuesday, April 28, 8:07-10:52 pm ET) peaked at 4.3 million viewers and averaged 3.8 million viewers. It was the most-watched sporting event of the night.

NBC Sports also streamed two games on Peacock and NBCSN from April 25-28.

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, and digital data from Adobe Analytic

STAMFORD, Conn.—NBC Sports has released new viewing data showing that the first NBA All-Star Game presented by NBC Sports since 2002 had the largest audiences for the game since 2011 and that viewing levels for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics continue to remain strong, averaging 24.5 million viewers through Sunday, Feb. 15.

The new “USA vs. The World” format for the NBA All-Star audience averaged 8.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo, according to preliminary Nielsen data and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Highlighted by Anthony Edwards’ MVP performance for the victorious USA Stars, and Victor Wembanyama’s 33 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the World team, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game topped last year’s viewership by 87% (4.7 million viewers). Viewership peaked at 9.8 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET for the closing minutes of the USA Stripes’ 48-45 victory over World.

NBA All-Star coverage followed a full day of Milan Cortina Winter Olympic competition, and led into Primetime in Milan.

Sunday’s Milan Cortina Olympics coverage averaged 26.6 million viewers for the live afternoon window (Milan Prime: 2-5 p.m. ET) and Primetime in Milan (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) across NBC, Peacock, NBCUniversal Digital Platforms and Versant’s CNBC and USA Network, according to preliminary Nielsen data and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Through Sunday Feb. 15, nine of the 10 days of Milan Cortina Winter Olympic coverage have topped 20 million viewers, according to official Nielsen Big Data + Panel viewership and preliminary data from Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Through Sunday, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is averaging 24.5 million viewers on NBC, Peacock, NBCUniversal Digital Platforms and Versant’s CNBC and USA Network – marking the most-watched Winter Games presentation at this point since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, according to official Nielsen Big Data + Panel viewership and preliminary data from Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Led by Peacock, a record 10.3 billion minutes of Milan Cortina Olympics content have been streamed, topping by nearly 50% all prior Winter Games combined (6.9 billion minutes).

ST GALLEN, Switzerland & NEW YORK—Sportradar AG has announced a multi-year agreement with NBC Sports Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) to enhance the NBA viewing experience through real-time, cutting-edge broadcast solutions that enhance live game coverage.

NBC Sports Regional Networks reported that they will use Sportradar’s NBA Advanced Data and GameFrame across live NBA game broadcasts during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NBA seasons. The solutions will be used on hundreds of NBA telecasts across NBC Sports’s regional networks, delivering more dynamic coverage to fans in multiple NBA markets nationwide.

“This agreement builds upon our long-standing relationship with NBC and reflects how we continue to expand the ways we support their live sports coverage,” said Brian Josephs, vice president, The Americas, Sportradar. “As NBC continues to evolve how it serves fans across platforms, Sportradar is helping deliver the data-driven tools that bring greater clarity and context to live games, creating more engaging NBA viewing experiences for fans.”

A key component of the deal is GameFrame, which uses AI to transform live NBA player-tracking data into on-air graphics, animated replays, shot charts, and customized digital assets. GameFrame supports in-game analysis and storytelling by helping on-air talent explain plays, positioning, and outcomes as the action unfolds.

“Enhancing the viewing experience is essential to our NBA coverage across regional sports networks,” said Jon Slobotkin, senior vice president, content and live programming, NBC Sports Regional Networks. “Sportradar’s GameFrame offers a new way to add data-driven insights directly into live coverage, bringing visually stunning stories that resonate with today’s fans.”

HUDSON, N.H.—My role at Game Creek Video focuses on the design, maintenance, and long-term evolution of our mobile production trucks. In live production, especially at the scale we operate, broadcast technology must be flexible, dense and, above all, reliable. Over the last several years, MultiDyne has become a core technology partner for us, with several of their products playing distinct and critical roles in our workflows.

We heavily rely on three MultiDyne product lines: the VF9000 fiber-transport platform, the HUT camera acquisition system and SilverBullet miniature fiber-transport devices. Each one serves a different purpose, but together they allow us to move large amounts of video efficiently, both inside the truck and across stadiums.

All-in-One Design
The VF-9000 has become the backbone of our inter-truck fiber transport. Over the past several years, we transitioned to this platform after using other solutions, and it’s now installed across six of our mobile units, with multiple frames per truck. What drew us to the VF-9000 was its compact footprint and all-in-one design. Previously, we needed separate products for fiber transport and copper video conversion. The VF-9000 consolidates that into a single, dense and extremely stable platform.

From a production standpoint, we use the VF-9000 to move large volumes of SDI video between trucks. In a typical configuration, we’ll take up to 32 video signals from one truck, transport them over just a few strands of fiber and break them back out in another unit. That level of density allows us to share signals efficiently without running excessive fiber, which is especially valuable on large, complex shows. We primarily use the VF-9000 for video transport with embedded audio, and its CWDM (coarse-wavelength division multiplexing) capabilities allow us to maximize bandwidth while keeping our infrastructure clean and manageable.

Monitoring and troubleshooting are also major strengths of the VF-9000. The platform exposes SNMP (Simple Network Monitoring Protocol) data, which allows us to integrate it directly into our broader monitoring environment. Instead of walking into racks or checking front-panel indicators, our engineers can see real-time status, alerts and performance metrics through dashboards and web-based tools. We can even monitor the far end of a fiber link from another truck, which saves time and reduces on-site coordination during live events.

Out in the field, camera acquisition is handled primarily by the MultiDyne HUT system. HUT has proven to be one of the most universally compatible camera-transport solutions we’ve used—we haven’t encountered a camera platform in our fleet that it doesn’t support. Using SMPTE connections at the camera and single-mode fiber back to the truck, HUT allows us to leverage a venue’s existing fiber infrastructure while maintaining signal integrity and flexibility.

Alongside HUT, the SilverBullet plays an equally important role. While HUT focuses on camera transport, the Silver Bullet is our go-to solution for moving individual video feeds long distances throughout a venue. We frequently deploy them to carry monitoring feeds, auxiliary signals, or other video paths that need to travel alongside camera signals. Many venues are moving away from copper entirely, and the Silver Bullet allows us to run tactical fiber everywhere and convert back to SDI exactly where we need it.

NBA Cup Coverage
This gear was recently deployed together on high-profile broadcasts, including Prime Video’s NBA Cup coverage in Las Vegas, and it’s also in regular use on major productions like “Monday Night Football,” “Thursday Night Football” and Fox primetime football. These are demanding shows with zero tolerance for
failure. The HUT and SilverBullet are rugged, field-ready devices that just work. The VF-9000, despite its density, is modular enough that we can replace individual components without taking an entire system offline.

Our goal is to build trucks that are flexible today and ready for tomorrow as we support a variety of live productions for sports and live events. MultiDyne’s technology has helped us achieve this through reliable transport, smart monitoring, and the confidence to deliver world-class live broadcasts.

More information is available on MultiDyne’s website.

BRISTOL, Conn.—ESPN is reporting data showing a strong start to its 2025-26 NBA regular season, with its first 21 games through Christmas Day producing the second-highest NBA viewing levels the network has ever seen.

According to Nielsen Big Data Plus Panel, the NBA on ESPN networks is averaging 2.6 million, up 35% from last season.

ESPN said viewership for the 2025-26 regular season trails only the 2010-11 campaign. That ranking excludes the 2011-12 and 2020-21 seasons, which were shortened by a player lockout and the pandemic, respectively, and had nontraditional schedules.

ESPN’s coverage of the NBA has also delivered significant year-over-year growth in key demographics this season. Through 21 games, viewership among P2-17 is up 45%, while viewership among women is up 47%. Additionally, Hispanic viewership is up 37%.

Overall, ESPN networks have carried seven of the top 10 most-watched NBA games this season according to Nielsen, including all five Christmas games – three of which averaged more than 6 million viewers for the first time ever.

The data is important for the league, which negotiated significant increases in media rights in 2024 for a new round of contracts with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Prime Video that began with the 2025-26 season. Those deals totaled $76 billion for media rights over an 11 year period.

ESPN has also generated substantial viewership for its NBA studio programming this season. Through Christmas, TNT Sports import “Inside the NBA” is averaging 1.2 million viewers across ESPN and ABC. “NBA Countdown” is averaging 582,000 viewers so far this season, up 20% from last year’s regular-season average. In addition, “NBA Today,“ ESPN’s weekday studio offering, is averaging 361,000 viewers this season, an increase of 26% from this time last year.

MELVILLE, N.Y.—Chyron has released Virtual Placement 8.0, with new SMPTE 2110 IP connectivity and NBA-focused line tracking, the company said.

“We are meeting the industry where it is going with IP-based workflows and richer storytelling tools,” Andreas Olsson, product manager of Virtual Placement at Chyron, said. “Adding SMPTE 2110 IP support and elevating basketball coverage with enhanced tracking allows broadcasters to engage audiences with more accurate, high-impact visuals.”

The latest version’s 2110 support aligns Virtual Placement with the industry trend towards uncompressed and future-proofs the product, the company said.

Virtual Placement 8.0 brings court-accurate tracking to basketball, keeping virtual graphics visually locked to the floor and aligned with the action, which enables stable, hardware-free on-couert tracking and unlocks advanced graphics and analysis within live NBA broadcasts, Chyron said.

Virtual Placement continues to deliver virtual advertising, dynamic sports analysis tools, and PRIME-powered broadcast graphics from a single platform, the company said.

More information is available on Chyron’s website.

The NBA has released encouraging viewing and social media data that the beginnings of its $76 billion deal with NBC/Peacock, Prime Video and ESPN are paying off for its broadcast rights partners.

More than 60 million viewers watched NBA games during the first month of the regular season, the NBA reported, the highest first-month viewing in 15 years if you exclude the 2011-12 season, which opened on Christmas Day.

The NBA also reported record levels of social-media engagement, with more than 30 billion views across social media platforms operated by the league and others.

In addition, sales at NBAStore.com were up more than 20% and subscriptions to out-of-market package NBA League Pass were up 10%. Time spent viewing games on the NBA app was also up 8%.

SOUTHPORT, Conn.—Main Street Sports Group’s FanDuel Sports Network has announced ambitious plans to offer free streams of some live local NBA and NHL games on major streaming platforms beginning mid-November. All of the as-yet-unspecified games will also air for free in over-the-air broadcasts by local stations.

Earlier this month, during the Local Strategies sessions co-hosted by NAB Show New York and TVNewsCheck, Main Street Sports Group’s chief revenue officer, Eric Ratchman, said Main Street had reached deals with some station groups and teams to offer the free streams. The company has not, however, released details of the games or the specific station groups.

FanDuel Sports said it would bring select live game productions of its NBA and NHL team partners—also available in-market on an over-the-air (OTA) basis—directly to Pluto TV, Prime Video and Samsung TV Plus, with more platforms and services to be announced. Games will be presented outside the networks’ paywall, which the owner of cable regional sports networks hopes will help drive subscriptions and increase fan interest in the teams.

FanDuel Sports also stressed that the launch of some free-streaming games in November marks the first phase of its broader, multiphase free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) strategy. That strategy is designed to extend reach to younger, digital-first sports fans while fueling direct-to-consumer and linear TV growth and creating a new path for marketers to reach sports viewers through advertising and sponsorship opportunities, the network said.

"Launching this digital game offering is a big step in expanding our national reach and continuing to prioritize the different ways fans can watch their hometown teams," Ratchman said. "By bringing games to free streaming platforms that reach hundreds of millions of viewers, we're making local sports more accessible than ever and proving what our ubiquitous access model can deliver."

FanDuel Sports plans to launch a dedicated 24/7 FAST channel in 2026, which will serve as a national front door to help amplify its growing roster of programming, including “Golic & Golic,” “Countdown Live” and more, it said.

FanDuel Sports Network is a group of RSNs created after Bally Sports, which had been owned by Sinclair, filed for bankruptcy protection and was rebranded. FanDuel Sports Network, which emerged from bankruptcy in early 2025, is owned by Main Street Sports Group, formerly Diamond Sports Group.

ESPN said it will produce animated telecasts for NFL, NHL, NBA and WNBA games across The Walt Disney Co. and ESPN platforms during the 2025-26 season under an agreement it signed with Sony’s Beyond Sports and Hawk-Eye Innovations.

The telecasts will use Disney’s intellectual property portfolio in game presentations that transform live play into real-time animations, an innovation ESPN first introduced in 2023. More alternate telecasts are planned for the 2026-27 sports calendar, the broadcaster said.

“At ESPN, innovation has always been a driver in serving sports fans, including reaching new audiences,” said Kevin Lopes, vice president of sports business development and innovation at ESPN. “The Beyond Sports team has helped fuel our animated alternate casts, along with our league partners, creating an entirely new way for fans to consume our content. We look forward to continuing to produce these unique experiences for fans both this year and in the years ahead.”

ESPN, Disney, Sony’s Beyond Sports, and multiple league partners have collaborated on several previous animated alternate presentations, beginning with the NHL Big City Greens Classic in 2023 and a second the following year. Since then, the NFL has partnered on multiple Funday Football presentations, powered by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and featuring characters from “Toy Story” and “The Simpsons.” The NBA has also joined in with “Dunk the Halls,” featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.

“The addition of four new telecasts this season will bring our total with ESPN to nine, a reflection of how this partnership continues to grow year on year,” Sander Schouten, managing director and co-founder of Beyond Sports, said. “Enabled by our technology, together we’re driving the evolution of fan engagement, creating new ways for fans to experience the game and redefining live sports storytelling.”

Expanding audiences is the primary motivation driving the animated alternate casts. They are intended to promote co-viewing and attract casual fans. ESPN research reveals that more children watch these telecasts with an adult, the broadcaster said.

More information is available online.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has unveiled a suite of new features, including Create Your Own Multiview, for last night’s start of the NBA season that transform how fans find, follow and watch every game.

Create Your Own Multiview, allows fans to select four games of their choice. Another new feature, Fan View, provides a dynamic on-screen sports companion. The new features are accessible within NBA Zone, a personalized league hub that brings more than 1,300 NBA Games together at one seamless destination, making it effortless for customers to find games regardless of where they are airing, Comcast said.

“In today’s fragmented sports landscape, fans have to navigate a growing mix of networks and apps just to follow their favorite teams. Our goal is to make this easy,” said Fraser Stirling, global chief product officer at Comcast. “Nobody does basketball better than we do, and by bringing everything together into one simple, feature-packed experience, we’re removing complexity so our customers can simply sit back and enjoy everything the season has to offer.”

The new Create Your Own Multiview enables Xfinity customers to create their own personal sports viewing experience by choosing from select channels to watch up to four games at once, whether NBA games or other sports. Viewers can enlarge any of the games on screen and cycle through the audio of other games, it said.

The new all-in-one Fan View feature places scores, stats, standings, betting odds and team insights next to live action. It also helps fans discover and watch games across network channels and streaming services without having to take their eyes off the screen, it said.

Comcast Xfinity’s newly enhanced NBA Zone brings more than 1,300 NBA games into one destination regardless of whether they are airing on broadcast, cable streaming apps or FAST channels to make it easier for fans to find and watch games. Fans can personalize the destination with their favorite teams to find the live coverage, stats, news and highlights most important to them.

More information is available on the company’s website.

As Amazon’s Prime Video prepares to launch its coverage of NBA basketball under a major new deal, Grup Mediapro has announced that it is working with the streaming giant to localize the NBA game feed into LATAM Spanish for all Latin America.

Grup Mediapro, which recently announced its role in customizing the audiovisual feed for the world’s largest basketball league for Spain, said that it will also provide this service for all Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas, reaching a potential audience of over 400 million viewers.

Mediapro North America, the group’s regional subsidiary, has been selected by Prime Video to localize and customize the Spanish-language broadcast feed of NBA games to be broadcast in Spanish across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States (for the US Hispanic audience), Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the company said.

In total, the group will customize more than 200 games for the Americas, and an additional 100 games for Spain.

The project, set to launch on October 21, will be managed from Mediapro North America’s production center in Mexico City, where the group has outfitted its state-of-the-art facilities to host several programs, including pre-game and post-game coverage.

Mediapro noted that the group’s expertise in HDR signal management and live virtual production will be central to the project’s execution.

Currently, Grup Mediapro is involved in more than 25,000 live productions annually, operating across four continents, where it delivers services to the world’s leading sports federations, including FIBA, UEFA, FIFA, CAF, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, and AFC.

NEW YORK—The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league’s digital platforms, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

The NBA announced a new multiplatform streaming offering and the reimagined NBA TV, which will offer nonstop basketball content and original programming starting Wednesday, Oct. 15. Accessible through the NBA App, the streaming platform and NBA TV will deliver a robust mix of live games, programming, highlights and original content as the home of global basketball, the league said.

“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 NBA senior vice president, head of NBA App, Sara Zuckert. “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.”

The NBA said “The Association”, a new weeknight primetime “basketball-cast” featuring MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among other contributors, will launch as the flagship program on the reimagined NBA TV and on the NBA App.

The NBA described the basketball programming lineup available on the NBA App and NBA TV as follows:

• "Live games and competitions, providing fans more live basketball action than ever before, including from the NBA and WNBA, as well as the NBA G League, Basketball Africa League (BAL), top international leagues and premier high school competitions featuring the next generation of stars:
• NBA TV will air 60 NBA games during the regular season, beginning Oct. 25 when the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder visits the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET).
• The NBA, in collaboration with Sportradar, will deliver hundreds of live and on-demand games, competitions and highlights, featuring top prospects in international leagues around the world, including Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL), France’s Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), Spain’s Liga ACB, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and Korean Basketball League (KBL).
• Future Starts Now will showcase top U.S. high school basketball tournaments and prospects, giving fans a glimpse at future NBA talent.
• Live programming and exclusive behind-the-scenes content, featuring analysis and news from top voices across the basketball ecosystem and all-access content bringing fans closer to their favorite teams and players, including:
• A selection of top NBA podcasts and live programs from across the basketball community for fans to enjoy in one destination, including Thinking Basketball, No Ceilings, The NBA Front Office Show and The Athletic’s NBA Daily.
• Creator-driven and community-powered content, featuring diverse voices such as Bree Green, Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, Jesser, Jenna Bandy and Tristan Jass.
• Real Training Camp will deliver exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to how NBA teams are gearing up for the season, including the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
• Loud City: The OKC Thunder’s Championship Season, narrated by Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams, will chronicle the team’s extraordinary journey to a dramatic seven-game NBA Finals victory over the Indiana Pacers.
• “Coaches Corner” will feature one-on-one conversations between former NBA player and ESPN analyst Tim Legler and NBA head coaches from around the league.
• Additional NBA TV highlights for the 2025-26 season include three tripleheaders, starting Dec. 20 when the Houston Rockets visit the Denver Nuggets (5 p.m. ET), followed by the Charlotte Hornets at the Pistons (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers visiting the LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET). NBA TV will also carry a full day of games on New Year’s Eve, starting at 1 p.m. ET when the Warriors visit the Hornets followed by the Phoenix Suns facing the Cleveland Cavaliers at 3:30 p.m. ET. NBA TV’s New Year’s Eve slate will conclude with the Thunder hosting the Portland Trail Blazers at 8 p.m. ET.

Live NBA and WNBA games on NBA TV can be accessed on the NBA App streaming platform with an NBA TV subscription. Additionally, fans will be able to watch games from the NBA G League and BAL.

The full NBA TV game schedule for the 2025-26 NBA regular season is available here.

With only two weeks until the 2025-2026 NBA season tips-off on NBC and Peacock— the first under the league’s new 11-year, $77 billion media rights contracts—NBCUniversal is reporting that it is exceeding its advertising expectations, with nearly 170 advertisers and nearly all inventory already sold out.

NBCU reported that over 20% of advertisers are new to NBCUniversal and that the NBA’s return to NBCUniversal sparked interest from first-time brands with nearly 10% new investments into the franchise at large.

A key driver has been crossplatform demand. More than 70% of its clients are investing in crossplatform deals, further demonstrating the importance of a multiplatform, omnichannel approach to reaching audiences at scale, the company reported. Additionally, over 30% of overall NBA investments have gone solely towards digital inventory.

However, NBCU also noted that investments in linear exceeded initial expectations by more than 20%.

In July 2025, NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games across numerous platforms beginning with the 2025-26 season.

As part of the deal NBC Sports will present 100 NBA regular-season games and up to 40 playoff games; six conference finals over 11 seasons, including in 2026; and the NBA All-Star Weekend/Game every year.

In a statement, Peter Lazarus executive vice president, NBC Sports & Olympics, Advertising and Partnerships noted: “The demand for live sports over the last year has been unprecedented across our properties and the NBA is no exception. Launching a new property, there were certain expectations we had and the appetite from our partners far exceeded all of those. Advertisers were eager to invest across linear, streaming and digital, leading to our near sell-out. We are proud to welcome the NBA to our incredible roster of sports and bring both viewers and advertisers an unrivaled, world-class experience.”

The 2025-26 season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with a doubleheader featuring reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder hosting Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, followed by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors traveling to Los Angeles to take on LeBron James and the Lakers on NBC and Peacock.

Starting Oct. 27, “Peacock NBA Monday” will stream up to three NBA games nationwide on Monday nights throughout the regular season. A 30-minute studio program will lead into game coverage each Monday night.

More specifically, the company said it had officially sold out of all key positions for this season of the NBA with investments across all core categories including auto, finance, QSR, entertainment and retail. The key positions include:

• American Express will be the Official Halftime Sponsor for NBA on NBCUniversal.
• As part of its larger collaboration with NBCUniversal, DraftKings will serve as the Official Betting Partner of NBA on NBCUniversal.
• Kia will be the Official Presenting Sponsor of Tuesday’s NBA Coast to Coast.
• McDonald’s will sponsor “Basketball Night in America” and “NBA Showtime” on Sunday nights
• State Farm will be the sponsor of Tuesday’s “NBA Showtime” studio show.
• Wingstop will sponsor the Monday “NBA Showtime’ studio show.
• Xfinity will be the Official Presenting Sponsor for Peacock NBA Monday.

NEW YORK—NBA fans should have better insight than ever into the subtleties of pro hoops beginning with the 2025-26 season, thanks to a new multiyear partnership between the league and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The partnership, announced today, makes AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the league and its affiliate leagues, including the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media.

The NBA and AWS will launch NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will turn billions of data points into insights and interactive experiences, reimagining how fans engage with the game of basketball worldwide.

Built on AWS’s AI infrastructure, the platform will introduce a suite of features that enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan experiences across the NBA App, NBA.com and the league’s social media channels, the league said.

“Partnering with AWS provides us with an opportunity to elevate the live game experience through innovation and offer fans a deeper understanding of the game of basketball for years to come,” NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology Ken DeGennaro said. “AWS has a proven track record of delivering unique statistical insights and offering transformative experiences that will resonate with NBA fans around the world.”

The partnership pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in sports, AWS Vice President of Professional Services and Agentic AI Francessca Vasquez said.

“This partnership will showcase how cloud and AI can reimagine the game of basketball—from generating new insights to creating experiences that bring fans closer to the game they love,“ she said. ”Together, we’re delivering technology that not only enhances live broadcasts and digital platforms, but also transforms how players, coaches, and fans understand basketball.”

The NBA will leverage AWS’s AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. This new advanced statistics platform processes the NBA’s player tracking data, analyzing the movements of 29 data points per player using machine learning and AI to contextualize in-game developments and generate real-time insights. Fans can deepen their understanding of the game by accessing new statistics via the NBA App, NBA.com and during live NBA games, including during NBA on Prime broadcasts.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the NBA and AWS will introduce new AI-powered stats that capture aspects of basketball performance that have not been measured previously, starting with:

• Defensive Box Score, which quantifies individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics cannot measure. AI algorithms detect which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time. Once the primary defender is determined, the traditional box score can now be enhanced by identifying the defender at the time each stat was recorded. Additional new metrics, such as ball pressure, double teams and defensive switches, can now be viewed and tallied as well. 
• Shot Difficulty, which transcends traditional make-or-miss statistics to evaluate every aspect of each shot attempt. The difficulty of attempted shots will be quantified with new stats, such as Expected Field Goal Percentage, which takes into account various factors like the shooter’s orientation and setup, defensive contest details related to pressure, interference and each player’s positioning on the court.
• Gravity, which shows what coaches and analysts have observed for years: how certain players create advantages for teammates simply by being on the court even without touching the ball. This new stat measures the level of attention a player receives from the defense, including how closely they’re guarded with or without the ball, to quantify the amount of space they create for their teammates. This system processes optical tracking data 60 times per second, using custom neural networks to analyze how defenders react to specific players, while factoring in real-time game context and historical data. 

NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS will also feature a called “Play Finder,” which uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games. Using AWS services, such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker, the feature will enable instant search and retrieval of similar plays, laying the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data. Play Finder will help fans and broadcasters learn common offensive strategies and explore deeper insights by combining play results with advanced analytics.

A real-time alert system within Play Finder will enable commentators to provide instant historical context and strategic insights. NBA teams will have direct access to the ML models powering Play Finder to improve their front office and coaching workflows.

Future iterations of Play Finder will allow fans to explore basketball strategy on the NBA App.

The NBA App, NBA.com and NBA League Pass, the league’s out-of-market game package, will run on AWS. Through this partnership with AWS, the NBA will accelerate basketball’s growth worldwide by offering fans new and unique opportunities to understand team strategy and the concepts that lead to execution on the court. Additionally, the NBA and AWS will deliver in-language content and personalized experiences to fans across platforms.

More information is available on the AWS website.

DENVER & TYSONS, Va.— Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) has extended a deal with Tegna that will allow Denver’s 9NEWS (KUSA-TV) and My20 (KTVD-TV) to air 20 Denver Nuggets games and 20 Colorado Avalanche games for free over-the-air during the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons.

It is the second straight year that the Tegna stations have aired the NBA and NHL games from the two franchises.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this fan-first partnership with Tegna back for another year,” said Kevin Demoff, president of team and media operations, KSE. “Last season’s overwhelming community response to this partnership reinforced our commitment to ensuring that the fans who support the Nuggets and Avs can cheer on their favorite teams even when they can’t be with us at Ball Arena.”

The broadcast agreement with Tegna Denver stations 9NEWS and My20 will enable nearly 3.5 million people in the Denver metro area to access games for free over-the-air. Last season, millions of viewers tuned in to the stations to watch the Nuggets advance to the NBA’s Western Conference Semifinals and the Avalanche earn their place in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tegna reported.

This season, a total of 40 games from the two hometown teams will air on KTVD, with five Nuggets games and five Avalanche games broadcast simultaneously on 9NEWS, Denver’s NBC affiliate.

Denver-based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns such properties as the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Mammoth (NLL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), and Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network.

Altitude Sports will produce the games for the stations.

“After last year’s tremendous success as the official over-the-air broadcast home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, we’re excited to continue this partnership for another season,” said Mark Cornetta, senior vice president, media operations, Tegna. “The response last year exceeded our expectations, and we’re proud to once again provide Denver fans with the ability to watch their beloved Nuggets and Avs play.”

In advance of the Nuggets and Avalanche seasons, Altitude Sports continues to be available throughout its nine-state territory on Xfinity TV, DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo and various other local providers.

ESPN said ABC’s telecast of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on June 22 was the most-watched finals game in six years, since 2019.

According to preliminary data from Nielsen, the winner-take-all Game 7 averaged 16,353,000 viewers and peaked with 19,281,000 viewers from 9:45-10 p.m. ET across ABC and ESPN+.

The seven-game series averaged 10,266,000 viewers and delivered the seven most-watched broadcasts on all of television since the first week of May, ESPN reported. The audience for the 2025 NBA playoffs across ESPN and ABC—34 games—averaged 6,118,000 viewers, up 10 percent from 2024.

But other reports indicated the average audience for the seven-game NBA Finals was down from last year, with an average of 10.66 million viewers in 2025 compared to 11.3 million average viewers during the five-game 2024 series between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

The final viewership figures from Nielsen will be available on Tuesday, June 24.

NEW YORK—NBCUniversal at its upfront presentation laid outplans for new product features coming to Peacock for its NBA coverage, promising “an unprecedented level of integration between the platform and NBC Sports’ production,” the company rsaid.

NBCU, Amazon and The Walt Disney Co. split the NBA rights in a deal an 11-year deal valued at $2.45 billion per year. The new deal, which left longtime rightsholder Warner Bros. Discovery out in the cold, begins with the 2025-26 season.

“Peacock will be the most fun and engaging place to stream NBA games for longtime basketball fans and new ones, too,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said during the upfront at Radio City Music Hall. “We’re bringing the same level of innovation, inspiration and commitment that we’ve brought to so many other huge sports moments and leagues to deliver an intuitive, interactive and reliable streaming experience that the full range of NBA fans will enjoy.”

The company said that the new viewing features build on its streaming coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which reached nearly 100 million active users.

NBCU described the new features for next NBA season as follows:

• Instant Game Access. Peacock will make it easier than ever to stream NBA games, with the convenient Live in Browse feature allowing fans to jump straight into the action as soon as they open the Peacock app. Real-time insights and stats on the home page will give fans instant context about the matchup to quickly catch up before they start watching the game.
• Catch-Up. Fans tuning in late can use the Catch Up with Key Plays feature during a live game from any device. For mobile users who are watching on the go, the dedicated Can’t Miss Highlights playlist will have the latest game highlights and notable pre- and post- moments from across the league — and with one quick tap, fans can get to the live game on Peacock.
• Peacock ScoreCard. It is a first-of-its-kind, real-time streaming experience that is like "bingo meets fantasy sports” and will be available on TV and mobile. Fans will have the option to scroll to choose a game card based on a team or theme, and then earn points depending on what happens during the game. Personalized Peacock ScoreCard alerts will let fans know how they are doing throughout the matchup and how they stack up against other players. Top-ranked fans might even see their username on-air as part of a season leaderboard.
• Peacock Performance View. This is a new viewing mode that fans can choose to easily toggle on or off, unlocking real-time stats that break down the game, from which player is on a shooting streak to where they are most likely to score from next. The on-screen data overlay helps fans understand what might happen, before it does.
• Courtside Live. For Monday’s Peacock Exclusive Games, fans can get a coveted courtside seat to witness the energy and atmosphere from the arena through the Courtside Live feature starting during the second half of the season. Celebrating the culture of the NBA, this specially curated viewing experience will spotlight the moments fans care about and allow them to take control of how they watch — from the player arrivals and their latest fits to pregame shoot arounds, player spotlights and even courtside reactions from celebrity row. All these insider angles immerse fans even more deeply into the game, whether they are on-the-go and watching on mobile or via a special Multiview on the TV at home.

In the not-so-distant past, sports fans turned to their TVs for a one-size-fits-all experience: games aired on regional networks, and everyone relied on the same broadcasters for coverage.

Today, that model is unraveling. Consumers are increasingly cutting the cord in favor of Connected TV (CTV) and streaming services, leading to rapid shifts in advertising spend and new direct-to-consumer subscription and pay-per-view offerings.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming is emerging as a vital strategy for sports organizations to engage audiences, monetize content, and expand their reach. For many organizations and brands, this shift isn’t just an opportunity to engage this new type of sports fan—it’s a necessity.

Adapting to the Evolving Media Landscape
Sports have long been considered the final frontier sustaining paid cable television, particularly in the United States, where traditional broadcasters secured exclusive rights through large licensing deals keeping fans tethered to cable.

However, the landscape is shifting. A key turning point came when Diamond Sports Group signed a multi-year agreement allowing Prime Video users to stream Diamond’s 16 FanDuel regional sports networks. We’ve also seen the evolution of Fubo, a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) that is now offering standalone subscriptions to popular DTC streaming services like FanDuel, NBA League Pass, and more without requiring a full MVPD customer.

With streaming platforms now competing for sports rights, leagues, teams, and even individual games can now appear across multiple platforms like linear TV, streaming services, or their own DTC channels. Rather than being limited to a single broadcaster, rights holders can now strategically mix exclusive and non-exclusive deals, expanding their reach while maintaining control over their content.

For years fans have been constrained to a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to sports but in the wake of streaming, fans can now have a customized and seamless viewing experience, all from the platform(s) of their choosing. Now more than ever, organizations are delivering seamless viewing experiences that allow fans to subscribe to the content they love while also creating new opportunities for brands to engage them.

Meeting Fans Where They Are
The streaming industry is racing to keep up with the evolving sports landscape, but we’re already further along than many realize. This isn’t the first cycle of investment—it’s the next phase of refinement and optimization. The foundations have been laid, and now it’s about building smarter, more sustainable models that align with shifting consumer behaviors and the growing demand for flexible, data-driven sports streaming experiences.

The ability to deliver personalized, automated ad experiences across these platforms will be a game-changer for monetization and audience engagement. Many teams are launching their own OTT streaming apps to deliver live games, replays, and exclusive content straight to fans’ screens.

For example, last year the NBA struck an 11-year agreement with The Walt Disney Company that will net them roughly $76 billion dollars. Through this agreement, the NBA app will be leveraged as a universal access point to direct fans to the platform of their choosing (Disney, NBCU, or Amazon) to watch their favorite games.

As digital viewership climbs, the cost of game rights continues to soar. Major streaming platforms and tech giants are vying for digital sports rights, fueled by the power of sports to captivate audiences across all demographics on a massive scale.

For premium leagues like the NBA, digital streaming rights opportunities have opened up the competition for coveted network ad dollars, providing new revenue and highly engaged audiences. This also opens up opportunities for brands to leverage contextual targeting, aligning their content with trending athletes, and ensuring their ads reach engaged fans at the perfect time.

This hybrid approach will allow the NBA to balance traditional revenue streams with digital innovation, meeting fans where they are by maximizing accessibility and engagement. The rewards are substantial: by taking control of their platforms and owning the relationship with fans, organizations can sell their sponsorships directly, maintain control over valuable data, and connect with fans in deeper, more personalized ways driving higher engagement and offering tailored advertising and content experiences.

Engagement Lasts Beyond The Season
The always-on nature of sports (there is at least one broadcast-worthy sporting event every day) and the lengthy seasons provide ample opportunities to attract new subscribers – drawing them in with their favorite teams and then hooking them with other offerings when the games end. Female athletes and sports fans are also reshaping the media landscape, breaking long-held stereotypes, and redefining how sports are covered and consumed.

Deloitte predicted that 2024 revenue from women's sports would surpass 1 billion dollars for the first time. We’ve seen streamers start to follow this revenue stream – Peacock partnered with podcaster Alex Cooper for live Olympic coverage, and Netflix (whose subscriber base is 51% female) live-streamed the Christmas NFL games featuring a halftime show from Beyoncé. Netflix has also become home to shows like Quarterback and Receiver which have been praised for a real-life look into NFL players' lives both on and off the field.

With DTC and owned streaming platforms, teams have greater opportunities to offer fans exclusive behind-the-scenes content of their favorite athletes, providing a deeper, more personal look into their lives. There’s significant potential, especially during the off-season, to expand on these connections by highlighting team personalities in more engaging and creative ways, fostering stronger bonds with fans.

However, this begs the question of how this could impact Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in sports. We could begin to see more negotiations centered around the individual rights of athletes. With sponsorships now commanding premium placements, brands are increasingly looking to align with athletes, teams, or leagues that have high visibility and direct fan engagement, making NIL deals a key factor in securing lucrative sponsorships. As a result, athletes’ NIL rights could become a major bargaining chip in the negotiation process, influencing the distribution and monetization of digital sports content in unprecedented ways.

A new era of sports fans is here and the growth opportunities are unlimited. It’s clear that sports streaming has become a cornerstone of the modern entertainment landscape that’s here to stay. Sports is no longer about the calendar of events, but building and engaging a community on and off the field, year-round, and the broadcasters that take an audience-first approach and cater to this direct-to-consumer shift will be primed for long-term success, and the brand dollars will surely follow.

NEW YORK—NBCU’s streaming service Peacock continues to ramp up its sports offering with the launch of in-market streaming of four NBC Sports Regional Networks as add-on subscriptions.

The streams, which are priced between $14.95 to $24.95 per month, provide Peacock subscribers with direct access to live MLB, NBA and/NHL games as well as other programming carried by NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California or NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The new option enables Peacock Premium or Premium Plus subscribers located in the respective network’s television territory to purchase a monthly add-on subscription in addition to their Peacock subscription to receive the 24/7 stream of their regional sports network’s programming.

The MLB, NBA and NHL teams’ games available to subscribers include MLB’s Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies; NBA’s Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers; and NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks. Other pro and college sports, such as NWSL and NBA G League games, and other programming is included.

The four regional sports networks are:

• NBC Sports Bay Area: live San Francisco Giants (MLB) and Golden State Warriors (NBA) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive San Francisco 49ers (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday shows. NBC Sports Bay Area also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming and live coverage of other teams, including San Jose State University football and basketball, Bay FC (NWSL) and Santa Cruz Warriors (NBA G League).
• NBC Sports Boston: live Boston Celtics (NBA) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive New England Patriots (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday and daily in-season shows. NBC Sports Boston also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming, such as ‘Early Edition’ and ‘Boston Sports Tonight,’ and live coverage of other teams, including the Connecticut Sun (WNBA) and Maine Celtics (NBA G League).
• NBC Sports California: live Athletics (MLB) Sacramento Kings (NBA) and San Jose Sharks (NHL) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage. NBC Sports California also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming and live coverage of other teams, including San Jose State University football and basketball, Bay FC (NWSL) and San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
• NBC Sports Philadelphia: live Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday and daily in-season shows. NBC Sports Philadelphia also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming, such as ‘SportsNet Central,’ and live coverage of other teams, including college basketball and football.

Prices for the add-on subscriptions are as follows: NBC Sports Bay Area is $17.95/mo.; NBC Sports Boston is $14.95/mo.; NBC Sports California is $17.95/mo.; and NBC Sports Philadelphia is $24.95/mo. Users with a direct-billed Peacock Premium ($7.99/mo.) or Premium Plus ($13.99/mo.) Plan can purchase add-on subscriptions.

The NBC Sports Regional Networks’ live MLB, NBA and NHL game schedules include non-nationally exclusive regular-season and postseason games, as well as select preseason matchups. Live games programmed on the networks’ respective ‘plus’ or overflow channels will be available as live-event streams outside the 24/7 channel.

Peacock reported that in-market blackouts may apply to certain teams’ games (including blackouts of all games for certain teams in particular zip codes) based on user location consistent with television availability and league policies.

ATLANTA—The Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, Gray Media, and FanDuel Sports Network have announced an agreement will simulcast five upcoming Cavs games, giving fans across Northeast Ohio a variety of options to watch that include over-the-air broadcasts.

As part of the agreement, the five games will be available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Main Street Sports Group (formerly Diamond Sports Group), the owner of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers have had one of the most exciting starts to a season in recent memory, and we are committed to providing as many avenues as possible for our fans to enjoy our games and follow the action live,” said Mike Conley, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group, and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse executive vice president and chief information officer. “Our continued partnership with Gray Media creates an exciting opportunity for us to debut Cavaliers games on Rock Entertainment Sports Network for the first time, as well as over-the-air on WUAB Channel 43 again this season.”

“Airing these upcoming Cavs games on Rock Entertainment Sports and WUAB channel 43 creates expanded local market access to the team,” added David Hughes, WOIO and WUAB vice president and general manager. “We are thrilled to give more fans the opportunity to watch this incredible Cavs team as they continue to have an amazing season.”

The games will be available statewide on Rock Entertainment Sports Network. Fans located in Northeast Ohio can access Rock Entertainment Sports Network on channel 979 on Spectrum and free over-the-air on channel 22.1, as well as on WUAB Channel 43.

Fans in Columbus can view the games on channel 17.1 WDEM and those in Cincinnati on channel 19.3. FanDuel Sports Network will also broadcast the games.

The broadcast schedule is as follows:

• Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. EST | Cavaliers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
• Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. EST | Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
• Mar. 11 at 7 p.m. EST | Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets
• Mar. 27 at 7 p.m. EST | Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs
• Apr. 2 at 7 p.m. EST | Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

DALLAS and NEW YORK—The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, working with Endeavor Streaming, Softtek and the NBA, have launched an official streaming platform for MavsTV, offering fans a new level of access via a central content destination.

The platform enables local fans to watch all games not exclusively televised nationally as well as exclusive footage, original on-demand content and highlights on more devices than previously supported.

Fans can stream MavsTV to their connected devices, including those powered by tvOS, Android TV and Fire TV. The streaming service anticipates releasing support for Roku, Samsung and LG TVs in the near future.

"We are thrilled to work with Endeavor Streaming and Softtek to deliver a streaming experience of MavsTV for all of our fans,” Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall said. “Our comprehensive content platform provides a one-stop shop for all things Mavs, allowing fans to connect with our team both on and off the court.”

Presented by software engineering company Softtek, the new streaming platform is powered by the NBA’s Next Gen integrated digital platform and Endeavor Streaming’s Vesper platform. Endeavor Streaming is also providing business growth and advisory services.

“At Endeavor Streaming, we’re honored to work with the Dallas Mavericks across their streaming technology and direct-to-consumer operations,” Endeavor Streaming chief business officer Matt Starker said. “As experts in helping properties and direct-to-consumer services acquire, engage and grow their audiences, we see huge potential for the Mavericks and can’t wait to help them realize it.”

The new streaming service is currently available for fans via a monthly pass for $14.99 or a season-long pass for $99.99.

More information is available online.

SAN DIEGO—The trend towards creating animated alternative live presentations of professional sports continues with news that ESPN will air the first-ever real-time, animated alternate presentation of an NBA game this year on Christmas.

For the event, Sony’s Beyond Sports is collaborating with ESPN, Disney, and the NBA for “Dunk the Halls,” a special Christmas Day alternate presentation of the San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks game at noon ET, Wednesday, Dec. 25.

The animated production will use data processing and real-time visualization technology from Beyond Sports, as well as optical tracking technology from Hawk-Eye Innovations, to insert iconic Disney characters into the game action using 3D animation, while the two teams play in real time.

Dunk the Halls will be presented on ESPN2, ESPN+, and on Disney+. ESPN will air the live game.

Dunk the Halls is the third major sports telecast in 2024 to use Sony’s Beyond Sports’ real-time visualization engine, including the “NHL Big City Greens Classic 2” on Mar. 9 and the NFL ”The Simpsons Funday Football” on Dec. 9. The technology was also used for the three-time Sports Emmy Award-winning Toy Story Funday Football, featuring the Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game in London in October 2023.

“Real-time visualization and virtual alternate productions have clearly emerged from being a novelty into an established tentpole of broadcast and streaming programming,” Sander J. Schouten, managing director and co-founder at Beyond Sports, said. “Every time, we’re ready to deliver an innovative, immersive, and interactive altcast that puts viewers right in the heart of the action. This isn’t just the future of sports consumption—it’s the trend reshaping the industry today. With our latest telecast, fans can expect all of that, plus an added touch of Christmas magic.”

ESPN reported that fans watching Dunk the Halls will see animated versions of every play from the real-life Spurs vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York, with iconic Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale will be inserted into the telecast.

Fans can also expect to see them participate in a halftime slam dunk contest; delivering pregame and halftime speeches to the players; and decorating a large Christmas tree during the game. Elves will operate cameras, with Santa Claus operating ESPN’s “SkyCam” during the game.

The Christmas Day production will combine Beyond Sports’ data processing and real-time visualization technology Sony’s optical tracking from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations, allowing each Spurs and Knicks player to appear as a motion-enabled, animated player.

Beyond Sports developed a unique data processing engine to optimize basketball optical tracking data from Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations. By validating and enriching the data with advanced enhancement technology, they create more precise and lifelike animations. This process ensures the animations achieve a heightened level of realism and fluidity, making the content not only more visually compelling, but also more engaging and immersive for viewers.

“Adapting our data enhancement system to these new sports formats was essential,” Nicolaas Westerhof, chief technology officer and co-founder at Beyond Sports, said. “For example, the original ankle and toe data points can result in unnatural movements. By adding details like foot roll dynamics, we ensure smoother, more realistic visuals, significantly improving the viewer’s experience.”

In addition to planned visual elements and creative features like gingerbread referees, Beyond Sports’ virtual commentator technology will insert the ESPN announcers calling the game into the animated production. The virtual commentator technology uses a virtual reality headset to capture the real commentators’ upper body movements and facial expressions and create 3D animations. The technology brings the commentators closer to the action, enabling them to engage with the gameplay and audience like never before.

The NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery have reached an agreement that ends WBD’s lawsuit against the league and extends their longstanding media partnership for an additional 11 years, though without any rights to live games on TNT in the U.S.

The new NBA deal with WBD’s TNT Sports does include several components that will promote league content and “accelerate the global growth and reach” of TNT Sports and its Bleacher Report and House of Highlights brands, WBD said.

Those features include expanded digital access to NBA highlights, a full package of live game rights in international territories and an enhanced NBA Digital partnership between the league and TNT Sports. WBD will also continue to operate the league’s NBA TV U.S. cable channel.

A separate agreement announced at the same time will see TNT Sports continue to produce its popular “Inside the NBA” studio show for air on ESPN and ABC, starting in 2025.

“Together these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s Inside the NBA and create tremendous value for our entire portfolio as we accelerate the growth of TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and our global sports business,” said David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said. “We are pleased to partner with the NBA and Disney/ESPN, and to have solidified long-term rights and revenue for WBD.

Earlier this year, WBD lost out in the bidding for a new round of rights to NBA games that begins in 2025 and had sued the league, citing its right of first refusal on a new TV deal. WBD management was widely criticized for its handing of the negotiations for the NBA rights, which TNT Sports (the former Turner Sports) had held since 1984.

During that time, TNT Sports received more than 190 Sports Emmy Award nominations and 45 awards for its NBA coverage. TNT Sports and the NBA have jointly managed NBA Digital, the league’s collection of media assets, since 2009.

The new deal provides TNT Sports and its portfolio of brands with a global license to create, produce and distribute new and existing NBA content across its platforms. The agreement includes expanded global content and highlight rights for TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, with the ability to produce and distribute NBA content across the WBD portfolio, along with meaningful promotion, sales and creative commitments across both NBA and WBD platforms.

The separate arrangement with ESPN calls for TNT Sports to produce the iconic studio show “Inside the NBA,” a 21-time Emmy winner featuring host Ernie Johnson Jr. and panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, for distribution on ESPN and ABC starting in 2025-26 throughout the regular season and NBA playoffs. TNT Sports will also continue to develop new content for air on its WBD platforms featuring “Inside the NBA” studio talent, including an “Inside Sports” show currently in development for next season.

Associated with the agreement between WBD and ESPN, TNT Sports will now sublicense a package of Big 12 Conference college football games (13 each season) and men’s college basketball games (15 each season) starting in 2025. This builds on TNT Sports’ agreement to sublicense a pair of first-round College Football Playoff games from ESPN, starting this December.

Additionally, WBD has been granted live NBA game telecast rights in the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), along with Poland and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico) for the next 11 years.

In connection with this package, WBD will provide broad reach, local-language commentary and promotional opportunities for the NBA’s marketing partners.

“The opportunity to continue the iconic and Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across key WBD and NBA platforms.”

WBD also reported that its agreement with the NBA includes a new global license for digital platforms Bleacher Report and House of Highlights that includes expansive rights to content and highlights, as well as game access to produce NBA-related content. Bleacher Report and House of Highlights will receive widespread promotion across NBA assets, and the NBA will create a section of its digital products (e.g. the NBA App and NBA.com) that will feature basketball-related content produced by B/R, HoH and TNT Sports.

The NBA and WBD also said that the agreement also reimagines and continues the NBA Digital partnership between the NBA and TNT Sports for five seasons, under which the NBA can engage WBD to provide promotion and a variety of services, including production, content development and sales operations services. WBD will also be a strategic promotional partner for NBA League Pass and, through promotion on B/R, HoH and other WBD digital platforms, help accelerate League Pass subscriber acquisition. In addition, advertising for NBA properties and initiatives will run on WBD linear channels and digital platforms.

SOUTHPORT, Conn.—A U.S. bankruptcy court has approved Diamond Sports Group’s reorganization plan, paving the way for the troubled regional sports network owner to emerge from Chapter 11 protection. Diamond expects to complete the restructuring process in the coming weeks.

The ruling in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas ends a long-running saga that highlighted the massive impact of cord-cutting on RSNs. After Sinclair paid $10.6 billion for the 21 former Fox Sports Net RSNs in 2019 and set up Diamond as a subsidiary, cord-cutting and a declining pay TV business pushed the group into Chapter 11 in March 2022.

Under the terms of the plan, Diamond will complete a comprehensive balance sheet restructuring that will reduce its debt from almost $9 billion to $200 million. On completion, Diamond will be capitalized with more than $100 million in cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet.

Upon emergence, Diamond’s lead creditors—funds managed by or affiliated with PGIM, Inc., Hein Park Capital Management LP, Discovery Capital Management, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP and Alta Fundamental Advisors LLC—will exchange certain funded debt claims for equity in the reorganized company.

Sinclair’s equity interests in Diamond will be canceled.

Diamond will operate as a standalone entity, having completed its operational separation from Sinclair.

The new owners hope a streaming deal with Amazon's Prime Video, a naming rights agreement with FanDuel that saw the RSNs rebranded as FanDuel Network and rights to 27 MLB, NHL and NBA teams will be enough for the operations to prosper.

When it comes out of Chapter 11, Diamond will be home to 13 NBA teams, 8 NHL teams and 6 MLB teams, including:

• NBA: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs.
• NHL: Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.
• MLB: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays.

Following Diamond’s completion of the restructuring process, David Preschlack, CEO; Eric Ratchman, president of distribution and business development; and David DeVoe Jr., chief operating officer and chief financial officer will remain in their respective roles. Diamond’s Board will include new members after emergence from bankruptcy.

“Today is a landmark day for Diamond, as we embark on a new path for our business. Diamond is now unencumbered by legacy debt, financially stable and enthusiastically supported by new ownership,” Preschlack said. “Over the last 18 months, we have worked tirelessly to strengthen our business, including by reaching revised multiyear rights agreements with team and league partners, go-forward carriage agreements with major distribution partners, a broad naming rights partnership with FanDuel and a commercial agreement with Amazon. These critical achievements and a realigned business are enabling us to emerge as a sustainable, go-forward entity that drives value for our partners and fans.”

Preschlack continued: “Looking ahead, Diamond is well-positioned to further enhance its product offering and remains committed to delivering the highest quality live sports content in-market to fans through both linear and direct-to-consumer frameworks. I want to express my gratitude to the hardworking Diamond Sports Group employees for their unwavering support, dedication and continued confidence throughout this transformative period. Together, we are excited to build a bright future for Diamond and our stakeholders.”

Additional information regarding Diamond’s Chapter 11 proceeding, including court filings and information about the claims process are available here.

CHICAGO—Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), which televises games and content from the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox, said it will roll out its its new subscription streaming service for fans on Friday (Nov. 15).

The service will let fans stream games involving the three teams on the CHSN app (available on iOS and Android) or on any web browser.

The offering will include a CHSN Live Game Center that will offer:

• Live streams of Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games
• Real-time game coverage with in-game highlights
• Pregame and postgame coverage, including interviews with athletes and coaches

Subscription packages will start at $19.99 per month for one team or $29.99 per month for full access to all three teams’ live games. Fans can enjoy a free 7-day trial of a package of their choice. The streams can also be cast from the web or the app to larger screens, including the TV.

“We are excited to offer Chicago sports fans a one-of-a-kind digital product enabling immediate access to live games and a complement of personalized, on-demand content,” CHSN President Jason Coyle said. “Today’s announcement is the next step in our long-term commitment to Chicago sports fans everywhere and is another new and compelling way for us to serve and connect with them.”

Subscribers of the full access package will also get access to CHSN’s programming slate, which includes “The Chicago Lead,” “The Big College Football Show,” “The Big Pro Football Show presented by the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealers,” and a simulcast of WSCR radio’s “Mully and Haugh” morning show.

CHSN partnered with ViewLift, an over-the-top technology vendor that has created DTC streaming platforms for sports and entertainment clients. ViewLift’s roster includes the Altitude+ streaming service in Denver; Monumental Sports Network in Washington; the NHL and individual teams; as well as the NBA, NBCUniversal, LIV Golf, Tegna and others.

Authentication via eligible TV providers will be made available in the coming weeks, followed by access to the games via connected TV applications such as Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.

To purchase the new streaming service, fans can visit CHSN.com or download the app in the iOS App Store or Google Play.

MILWAUKEE—Weigel Broadcasting has announced a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to broadcast the NBA team’s games for the second consecutive season.

As part of the agreement, Weigel is broadcasting five Bucks games on independent station WMLW, known locally as The M.

The free over-the-air scheduled broadcasts debut on Wednesday, December 4 with the Bucks at home to take on the Atlanta Hawks at 7 PM. The game against the Nuggets in Denver on March 26 will be seen on WMLW and simulcast statewide in Spanish on WYTU, also known as Telemundo Wisconsin.

"We are so proud to partner with the Bucks again this season to bring games to fans in an affordable and convenient way," said Anne Brown, vice president and general manager of WMLW and its sister station, CBS affiliate WDJT.

“In simulcasting select Bucks games in partnership with Weigel, we will give more fans an easy and affordable way to watch their favorite team,” Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum, said. “We’re excited to team with Weigel again to expand our viewing options for fans.”

The Bucks TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines, will announce the games. These five games are a simulcast of FanDuel Sports Network’s coverage.

In addition to the free broadcast, WMLW can be viewed on channels 49 and 58.3, Spectrum 7/8/608/982/1007, DirecTV 49, Dish 49, AT&T 7/1007, TDS Channel 7, Packerland Broadband 22/2.1.

WYTU Telemundo Wisconsin is found on channels 63.1/58.4, Spectrum Channel 1027/27, Spectrum/Charter 206/17, Dish Network 17, AT&T U-Verse 3007/27.

TYSONS, Va.—After securing the local broadcast rights for several NHL and NBA teams, Tegna has announced that it has reached a new multiyear agreement with Fubo that will ensure the virtual pay TV provider’s subscribers have access to the stations that air those games.

As a result of the deal, Fubo subscribers now can now access KFAA Dallas, an independent station that will broadcast 70 or more Dallas Mavericks NBA games. KONG Seattle, which will air up to 70 Seattle Kraken hockey games, and KTVD Denver, set to air 20 Denver Nuggets NBA games and 20 Colorado Avalanche NHL games, are expected to launch on Fubo in the coming days.

“We’re thrilled to enhance access for viewers and fans through our partnership with Fubo,” Brad Ramsey, senior VP, media operations, at Tegna, said. “By leveraging Fubo’s innovative platform and our dedication to collaborating with premier NBA and NHL teams in our markets, we’re committed to ensuring fans never miss a moment of the action.”

Meta Quest, a division of Facebook owner Meta, has announced it will continue its virtual reality broadcasts of regular-season NBA games for the fourth consecutive year. Fifty-two games will be shown in immersive 180-degree VR in Meta’s Xtadium VR app for live and on-demand sports, and in the NBA Arena app in Meta’s online VR game “Meta Horizon Worlds.”

In addition to 52 live games, users will be able to access immersive highlights 24 hours after each game, play mini-games and socialize with friends in both Xtadium and NBA Arena in Worlds. Xtadium also lets NBA League Pass subscribers watch every live 2D game nightly in mixed reality, complete with real-time stats.

Also Read: NBA App Gets an Upgrade With Multiview, AI-Powered Insights and Other New Features

“From the first tipoff to the final buzzer beater, these fully immersive games let you experience all the action from the best seat in the house,” Meta Director of Metaverse Entertainment Content Sarah Malkin said. “Spatial sound lets you feel the excitement of the crowd as if you were there IRL. In NBA Arena, hoops fans can hang out and play mini-games, and we’re rolling out new features and improvements for the 2024-25 season. Take a selfie to unlock an NBA-themed emote, trigger visual effects that rain down on the stadium seating and show off your team pride with new merch. And a bridge between Xtadium and NBA Arena in Worlds lets you choose the vibe that’s right for you.”

Added Meta VP of Metaverse Partnerships Scott Hershkowitz: “The NBA has a long history of content innovation and is one of the savviest leagues in terms of leveraging technology to reach fans where they are to provide compelling experiences. It’s exciting for me personally to be working with the league on this partnership, having led some of their earlier forays into mobile and connected devices when I was at the NBA over a decade ago.”

“We’re always looking for ways to enhance the viewing experience and deliver innovative opportunities that enable fans to feel the excitement of the on-court action,” added NBA Vice President, New Media Partnerships Teddy Kaplan. “Through our partnership with Meta, we’ve brought fans closer to their favorite players and teams and look forward to another special season beginning next week.”

Brad Altfest, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at Agora, said the deal is a key moment in transforming how fans engage with live sports, pushing the boundaries of traditional viewing through immersive technology.

“The NBA’s move to bring courtside experiences to life in VR with Quest can be huge for fan engagement,” Altfest said. “With 52 immersive games on tap this season, the league is showing it really gets what today’s fans—especially younger ones—are looking for, which is more interactive and dynamic ways to enjoy live sports. Whether it’s virtually sitting courtside or using features like spatial audio and multiangle replays, this approach taps into the rising demand for experiences that go beyond the traditional TV screen.

“As the technology evolves, adding real-time engagement features like in-app social chats, exclusive merch, or even mini-games linked to live plays could make the experience even better,” he added. “The NBA is setting the bar for how the metaverse can transform fan interaction, and it probably won’t be long before other leagues follow their lead.”

NEW YORK & ST. GALLEN, Switzerland—In the run-up to the start of the NBA season, Sportradar has introduced a new suite of innovative fan-engagement solutions to be used by the league and its media partners.

The new suite of tools, which leverages AI and Sportradar’s advanced proprietary technology, relies on a full range of official NBA content, including skeletal tracking data. That allows Sportradar to harness hundreds of thousands of data points from each game, enabling the rapid development of products that improve fan engagement and open up new revenue streams for the NBA and its partners and Sportradar clients, the company said.

"Sportradar is committed to deepening our longstanding partnership with the NBA, while also supporting betting operators and media companies in capitalizing on the immense global popularity of the league,” said Eric Conrad, executive vice president of rights and strategic partnerships—USA & Latam at Sportradar. “Sportradar’s proprietary technology, underpinned by the application of powerful AI to deep data, continues to reimagine how fans interact with the NBA. We are excited by what the future holds, driven by our constant innovation.”

Sportsradar described the new tools as follows:

• Virtualized Live Match Tracker: This tool uses computer vision to transform real-time official NBA data into 3D visualizations that are delivered in a hyper-personalized stream, featuring customizable viewing angles and resulting in an immersive experience that keeps fans engaged in a betting operator’s app as they are served in-game wagering opportunities.
• 4Sight Streaming: Launched earlier this year for tennis and now available for basketball, 4Sight Streaming generates animated overlays and actionable insights by processing volumes of deep data. This creates an enriched viewing experience that can predict the likely outcomes in a game so fans can make informed real-time betting decisions.
• NBA Advanced Visualizations: Through rich, interactive graphics and animations, these visualizations leverage real-time skeletal tracking data to create engaging content, such as 3D animations, heat maps and player performance metrics, that enhance game analysis and add a dynamic element to support media companies’ storytelling about the action on the court.
• emBET: Following its successful launch on NBA League Pass earlier this year, emBET now allows bettors to actively monitor their wagers and is also now available on a wider range of devices, including internet-connected televisions and Android devices, increasing opportunities for fans to enjoy an interactive viewing and betting experience.

TYSONS, Va. and DALLAS—Tegna and the Dallas Mavericks have announced that eight more stations in Texas, Louisana and Oklahoma will join six Tegna-owned outlets to broadcast more than 70 of the NBA team’s games free to viewers during the 2024-25 season.

Fourteen stations will air all the non-nationally televised Mavericks games for free, over the air to about 14 million viewers in the team’s home television territory. The eight new stations are owned by Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair.

“We’re thrilled by the positive response from fans and advertising partners as we gear up to significantly expand the reach of Mavs games,” Tegna Senior Vice President of Media Operations Brad Ramsey said. “We are grateful to our partner stations from Gray, Nexstar, and Sinclair for helping us create more excitement, for more fans, in even more homes across Texas.”

“Providing access to games has always been our top priority,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “We are thrilled to work with WFAA to bring more fun and excitement to all of our MFFLs [Mavs Fans for Life] across North Texas and beyond.”

Starting with the Mavericks-Suns game on Oct. 26, the following eight additional stations will broadcast all games not exclusively televised nationally—70 or more in the first season—over-the-air:

• Amarillo, Texas—KFDA 10.2 (Independent, Gray)
• El Paso, Texas—KDBC 4.2 (MyNetworkTV, Sinclair)
• Harlingen-Brownsville, Texas—KGBT 4.1 (MyNetworkTV, Nexstar)
• Laredo, Texas—KXNU 10.2 (Gray Sports, Gray)
• Lubbock, Texas—KMYL 14.1 (MyNetworkTV, Gray)
• Sherman, Texas—KXII 12.2 (MyNetworkTV, Gray)
• Shreveport, Louisiana and Texarkana, Texas—KSHV 45.1 (MyNetworkTV, Nexstar)
• Wichita Falls, Texas and Lawton, Oklahoma—KJBO 3.2 (MyNetworkTV, Nexstar)

Additionally, newly rebranded Tegna station KFAA Dallas-Fort Worth (Ch. 29), which launches new programming as an English-language independent on Oct. 20, will broadcast all locally televised Mavericks games for free, with 15 or more games simulcast on ABC affiliate WFAA Dallas-Fort Worth (Ch. 8).

Games airing on KFAA in the Dallas market will also be available through the following providers: AT&T U-verse TV, Charter Spectrum, DirecTV, Dish, Frontier Fiber Keller, Fubo, GEUS, Grande Communications, OneSource Communications and Altice USA’s Optimum. Games will also be broadcast on Tegna stations in the Texas cities of Abilene (KXVA), Midland-Odessa (KWES), San Angelo (KIDY), Tyler (KYTX) and Waco (KCEN and KAGS).

WFAA and Tegna will lead local and regional advertising and sponsorship sales efforts for all local games.

Details on how to watch games can be found at mavs.com/broadcast. Viewers should check local listings for games available on cable and satellite providers’ systems. Fans can visit wfaa.com/mavs for information on how to purchase or set up an over-the-air antenna to watch games.

NEW YORK—The NBA said it will launch several new features for the NBA App for the 2024-25 season, including AI-powered insights and multiviewer capabilities allowing fans to watch four games simultaneously on “NBA League Pass,” its out-of-market subscription package.

NBA League Pass subscribers worldwide will also be able to customize their viewing experience. With the upgrade, fans can smart-rewind games from any point, with key plays highlighted; download full games for offline viewing; and access a range of game recaps including “All Possessions,” “10-Minute Condensed,” “Key Highlights” and more. Additionally, the app will offer interactive synced stats and analytics, ensuring its users experience the game as if it is live no matter when they are watching.

The app is adding “NBA Insights,” an AI-powered tool that leverages the power of Microsoft Azure and AI to identify key narratives, player performances and notable milestones. Insights will provide fans with a continuous feed of text-based updates beyond the box score to better contextualize the on-court action.

The NBA App will also use generative AI to localize content, offering game recaps in French, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as translations for select original programming.

Select NBA League Pass games this season will be produced and presented via cutting-edge immersive technology.

Fans in Los Angeles and Dallas can watch immersive 8K games at Cosm’s new “shared reality” venues beginning on Oct. 22 for Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024. The Cosm game schedule can be found here. As part of the league’s partnership with Meta, 52 live game broadcasts will be streamed in immersive VR in NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds and Xtadium on Meta Quest, which is the official mixed reality headset of the NBA, NBA G League and WNBA.

Xtadium will also allow NBA League Pass subscribers to watch every live 2D game nightly in mixed reality, complete with real-time stats. More information, including the full 2024-25 NBA game schedule for Meta Quest, can be found here.

In addition, the league continues to expand the technological capabilities of its “Next Gen integrated digital platform,” which is now powering four team-specific direct-to-consumer streaming services in the NBA App: BlazerVision (Portland Trail Blazers), ClipperVision (Los Angeles Clippers), Jazz+ (Utah Jazz) and Suns Live (Phoenix Suns). The platform, which is the technology backbone for the NBA App, also enables direct-to-consumer service Spectrum SportsNet+ (Los Angeles Lakers).

The app will feature more original content this season. Content on the NBA App throughout the season will incorporate “Dunk Score,” an AI-calculated grade for in-game dunks in real-time based on such factors as the player’s jumping distance, style and force at the rim, as well as defensive efforts from the opposing team.

New original content tips off with a special, “Pass the Rock: Rookie Year Edition.” This episode will follow San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s transition to the NBA, culminating in him being named the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year. On Sunday, Oct. 20, the NBA will launch “Raising 18,” a nine-part docuseries narrated by five-time NBA All-Star Al Horford, spotlighting the Boston Celtics’ journey to winning the 2024 NBA Finals.

In addition, popular features within the NBA App have been enhanced to increase personalization. Those enhancements include the new ‘Following’ tab, which combines the latest content from favorite teams and players into an algorithmic feed, as well as the revamped “Game Stories,” now with pregame analysis, highlights and interactive polls.

“Moments”—the popular vertical social media-style feed feature—has been upgraded to include multilanguage support and can now be accessed on Roku TV for quick content consumption on larger screens.

On NBA League Pass, fans will have access to more than 800 live out-of-market games and a variety of alternate telecast options, including in-language streams (Spanish, Portuguese and Korean), the return of the popular “NBA Strategy Stream,” providing fans with a unique viewing option breaking down in-game tactics, and “NBA HooperVision” featuring NBA legend Quentin Richardson. Additional alternate stream options will be announced throughout the season.

NBA League Pass will also be the primary destination for NBA games every weekend in November, with all games scheduled to stream on the platform (with no national blackouts). Subscribers can access up to 15 games per day on weekends throughout the month, with members of NBA ID—the league’s global membership program—receiving complimentary access to League Pass during the first Member Days of the season on Nov. 16-17. NBA ID members in the U.S. and Canada can also participate in a series of challenges in the NBA App and NBA.com between Oct. 20-27 to win a trip to the Emirates NBA Cup in Las Vegas.

For more information on the “NBA ID Challenge: Your Season Debut”, click here.

NBA League Pass premium commercial-free packages are available on NBA.com and in the NBA App for $159.99 a season (or $24.99 a month) or $109.99 (or $16.99 a month) for a standard package. The NBA App—a product of NBA Digital, the league’s joint venture with TNT Sports—is powered by Microsoft Azure.

DENVER & TYSONS, Va.—Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) has announced a broadcast rights agreement with Tegna for 20 Denver Nuggets games and 20 Colorado Avalanche games to be shown for free over-the-air on Denver’s 9NEWS (KUSA-TV) and My20 (KTVD-TV).

KSE, which owns the Nuggets and the Avalanche teams, also announced a new subscription-based direct-to-consumer platform coming in October, Altitude+, that will offer Nuggets and Avalanche games not exclusive to a national network. The Altitude Sports network will continue to carry local games for subscribers of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Spectrum TV.

“Thanks to the vision and creativity of my father and our leadership team, the hard work of many across this organization, and a tremendous partner in Tegna, we are thrilled to deliver a comprehensive solution so that our fans can watch all Nuggets and Avs games this season and beyond,” said Josh Kroenke, KSE vice chairman. “As we embark on the 25th season of Ball Arena and not only celebrate the past but look toward the future, it is fitting that we introduce the next evolution of our Altitude Sports network that includes Altitude+ and games on 9NEWS and My20. Thanks to this innovative model, our fans can be with us every step of the way this season in our quest to bring both the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and the Stanley Cup back to Denver.”

9NEWS and My20 are sister stations, owned by Tegna and operating out of the same building on Speer Boulevard. Of the 20 live games per team set for over-the-air broadcast, 10 will be on 9NEWS, the NBC affiliate and local news powerhouse.

“We’ve worked with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment for more than 25 years, and we’re thrilled to take our relationship to the next level as the official over-the-air broadcast home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche,” said Mark Cornetta, senior vice president, media operations, Tegna. “With both teams coming off recent championships, the demand from fans is at an all-time high. Today, there are even more reasons for fans to celebrate with the ability to watch Nuggets and Avs games for free over-the-air.”

Games airing on 9NEWS and My20 will be produced by Altitude Sports and will feature the same talent, with Chris Marlowe, Scott Hastings, Vic Lombardi, Christopher Dempsey, Katy Winge, and Bill Hanzlik on Nuggets coverage, and Marc Moser, Mark Rycroft, Kyle Keefe, and John-Michael Liles for Avs games.

The broadcast agreement with Tegna will enable nearly 3.5 million people in the Denver metro area to access games over-the-air.

In advance of the Nuggets and Avalanche seasons, Altitude Sports continues to be available throughout its nine-state territory on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Spectrum TV. Fans can also find Altitude Sports on Spectrum TV in parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Montana. Fans can visit www.altitudesports.com/how-to-watch to find a provider in their area.

“When I joined KSE last March, I said the most important thing we can do with Altitude Sports is give it a fresh perspective so that our fans can see our amazing teams and the generational players we are fortunate to have here in Denver,” said Kevin Demoff, KSE president of team and media operations. “Thanks to the leadership and support of Stan and Josh, our team was able to develop this unique model giving our fans an opportunity to watch all Nuggets and Avs games in a variety of ways. I want to thank all of our distribution partners for working with us to come up with a creative solution to get Altitude Sports to our fans.”

Every Altitude Sports broadcast of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche will be available on Altitude+, the new streaming home of Altitude Sports coming in October. Altitude+ will be available as a direct-to-consumer streaming service for $19.95 per month.

Fans who live in Altitude’s nine-state broadcast territory will have access to all of Altitude’s programming, including live Nuggets and Avalanche games, plus pre- and post-game coverage, full episodes of Altitude Sports originals, and regional collegiate coverage of Colorado State, University of Denver, and Air Force Academy athletics.

Altitude+ also will be available as a TV Everywhere (TVE) service at no additional cost for customers who currently subscribe to a TV package from a distribution partner that includes Altitude Sports.

“Altitude+ will make our live game broadcasts more accessible to a broader audience,” said Demoff. “We have a first-class crew with some of the best on-air talent in the NBA and NHL. I’m excited for those fans that haven’t been able to watch games on Altitude on a regular basis – they’re in for a show.”

Altitude+ will first be available for download on iOS and Android devices, with connected smart TV apps to follow soon after, ensuring that Nuggets Nation and Avs Faithful can enjoy content wherever they are on their preferred device.

For more information about Altitude+ visit AltitudeSports.com/Altitudeplus and sign up to receive updates on the upcoming launch.

In the runup to the first season of the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club, SEG Media launched UtahHC+, a dedicated, Utah Hockey Club-branded direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service similar to Jazz+, the Utah Jazz’s streaming service that SEG launched in September 2023. 

In addition, SEG Media has also introduced SEG+, a bundle that provides access to all UtahHC+ and Jazz+ content in one convenient place. 

SEG reported that the three services are equipped with enhanced capabilities including DVR and Search functionality and feature extensive programming – live games, video-on-demand (VOD) content, game-specific alternative broadcasts, and more insider programming – all produced by SEG Media. 

Subscriptions for SEG+, UtahHC+, and Jazz+ are available for purchase now at www.segplus.com.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be a sports fan in Utah, and we are committed to making sure our fanbase can easily engage in every minute of the action coming this season with Utah Hockey Club and the Utah Jazz - however they want to watch,” said Caroline Klein, chief communications officer for Smith Entertainment Group. “We gained valuable insight into our fans’ streaming preferences last season and look forward to creating even more memories with them through the front-row access and intuitive experiences that SEG+, UtahHC+, and Jazz+ provide.”

The SEG+ subscription sports streaming bundle is only available as an annual subscription priced at $174.99. 

UtahHC+ gives subscribers access to 75+ live Utah Hockey Club preseason and regular season games, excluding all exclusive nationally televised games. Live game coverage begins with the club’s first preseason game at 5 P.M. MT on Sept. 22 against the St. Louis Blues at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Annual subscriptions to UtahHC+ are available for $69.99 (less than $1 per game). Other UtahHC+ subscription options include monthly ($14.99) and pay-per-view (starting at $5 per live game). 

Jazz+ offers live streams of 75+ Jazz games and pre- and post-game coverage, excluding exclusive nationally televised games and other content.  An annual subscription to Jazz+ remains priced at $125.50, equivalent to less than $1.50 per game. Other Jazz+ subscription options include monthly ($19.99) and pay-per-view (starting at $5 per live game).

Only annual and monthly subscriptions include access to on-demand games and other content such as alt-casts, in addition to live games, SEG reported. 

New for this season, SEG Media has introduced enhanced capabilities across its three DTC services, including a DVR function during live games and a new search capability makes it easy to find desired content – from game replays to popular VOD content.

Also new this season, annual and monthly subscribers to SEG+, UtahHC+, and Jazz+ will be the first to access cross-over content that highlights players from the Jazz and Utah Hockey Club coming together as they showcase the best of Utah. This programming will be available via the streaming services 48 hours before it is released on other team-owned channels.

All 3.3 million plus Utahns can access and subscribe to all SEG Media subscription streaming services. UtahHC+ is available via an expansive territory including the state of Utah, as well as Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, and parts of Nevada. 

Jazz+ is available to all fans who live within the Jazz broadcast footprint, which includes the state of Utah plus areas of Idaho and Wyoming. SEG+ is available where Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club broadcast regions overlap.

SEG is also offering free tickets to early purchasers of the streaming services. 

NEW YORK—The digital joint venture between MSG Networks and YES Network, Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment (GAME) has announced that it will launch The Gotham Sports App this fall prior to the NBA and NHL regular seasons.  

The new Gotham app will bring MSG+ and the YES App under one roof – becoming the exclusive regional TV Everywhere and direct-to-consumer streaming home of each programming service, with games and content from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Brooklyn Nets and New York Yankees. 

Fans within MSG Networks' and YES' respective regional coverage territories (New York State, Connecticut, north and central New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania) who are authenticated MSG Networks and YES subscribers through their respective traditional pay TV providers will receive The Gotham Sports App at no additional cost. 

For those customers who do not subscribe to a traditional TV service, The Gotham Sports App will offer for purchase the existing MSG+ and YES App services, as well as a combination Gotham Sports package that includes both services. The combined direct-to-consumer version will cost $41.99 a month or $359.99 a year, which is less than the two MSG and YES apps. 

The app will be available on a variety of devices and platforms at launch, including Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and the Web, with additional platforms expected to be added in the near future. 

Andrea Greenberg, president and CEO of Officer of MSG Networks, said: "We are excited through GAME to bring New York area fans their favorite teams in one state-of-the-art app.  With the increased fragmentation of outlets carrying fan favorite sports programming, The Gotham Sports App allows fans of our teams one easy access point for New York area sporting events from MSG Networks and the YES Network." 

"The new Gotham Sports App will deploy GAME's best-in-class technology to deliver a greatly enhanced fan experience, showcasing the best in New York sports all in one place," said Jon Litner, CEO, YES Network. "The app, which will be free to our distributors' authenticated customers, will provide one convenient digital destination for our programming services and for fans of some of the most iconic teams in all of sports."     

As previously reported, in January, MSG Networks and the YES Network announced GAME, a 50/50 joint venture to capitalize on technical and operational synergies associated with MSGN's and YES' streaming services.  GAME also offers turn-key digital content distribution services, including platform technology, operational support and comprehensive data analytics to third parties, utilizing the combined technical and operational expertise each company has garnered from the respective successful launch and operation of the MSG+ and the YES App.

More information The Gotham Sports App is available at www.Signup.GothamSports.com.  

NEW YORK—The NBA has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by Warner Bros. Discovery that sought to overturn the NBA’s decision to grant rights to a package of NBA games to Amazon. 

WBD's Turner Sports has NBA rights through the end of the 2024-25 season but lost out in the bidding for a new package of rights, which were granted to Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon. 

In a July lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York County Of New York, Commercial Division, WBD had argued that its existing NBA contract gave it the right to match any other offer and that the NBA has improperly rejected its matching offer.

In response, the NBA argued that Turner Sport had significantly altered the terms of the deal with Amazon in its response and that the NBA correctly rejected WBDs offer. 

“Plaintiffs’ claims fail at the outset because the MRE did not give TBS the right to match Amazon’s offer,” the NBA brief said. “As the Complaint acknowledges, TBS’s matching rights are limited to third- party offers relating to NBA game distribution rights that TBS `currently enjoy[s]’ under the NBA/TBS Agreement. TBS does not `currently enjoy’ the rights covered by Amazon’s offer—namely, rights to distribute live NBA games on a disaggregated, standalone basis via an SVOD service streamed over the Internet. Instead, TBS’s current rights are limited to distributing games as part of a linear cable television network, together with the rest of the network’s programming.”

The Turner Sports offer also “made substantive revisions to eight of the Amazon offer’s 27 sections (including revisions to 22 different subsections), changed 11 defined terms that are collectively used roughly 100 separate times, struck nearly 300 words, and added over 270 new words, substantially altering the parties’ rights and obligations in the process,” the NBA brief noted. “Controlling New York law forecloses TBS’s attempt to rewrite the terms of Amazon’s offer and then “accept” those rewritten terms.”

The NBA also noted that WBD did not meet the credit terms for the deal as its debts is currently rated below investment grade. 

The full NBA brief can be found here. 

In an analysis of the lawsuit and the NBA brief, analysts at LightShed Partners noted: “The NBA cited a 1970 NBA/ABC lawsuit, also over media rights, that appears problematic for Turner’s lawsuit: `every competitor has a right to attempt to win a contract by offering terms which its competitors can’t meet, and similarly NBA was … free to seek and accept such terms as were consistent with its legitimate business interests.’ If the NBA can demonstrate legitimate business reasons for each of the items spelled out in the Amazon contract (regardless of how onerous they are for WBD to match), WBD faces a steep uphill battle to enforce its matching rights. WBD will need to show substantial case law to support its attempted match, which nullifies all the NBA’s matching issues, otherwise a dismissal feels likely before year-end 2024.”

STAMFORD, Conn.—ESPN has announced a new long-term deal with Genius Sports Limited that ESPN said will help transform ESPN’s live data-driven storytelling for NCAA sports and enhance broadcasts for the NBA and WNBA. 

As part of the agreement, ESPN will expand its college sports coverage with real-time team and player stats from Genius Sports, the exclusive distributor of official NCAA Data, with access to data across 65,000 NCAA games a year inclusive of basketball, football, ice hockey, volleyball and soccer.

Additionally, ESPN is extending its deal with Genius Sports around NBA player-tracking data insights while adding the WNBA to its portfolio of sports properties leveraging its data. With the deal, ESPN has access to Genius Sports’ cutting-edge Insight tool used by every NBA and WNBA team. This tool will enable ESPN to easily research, identify and produce video clips that break down team and player performance across both leagues.

“Genius Sports is a proven entity in the space that we know very well from our previous work together,” said Jeff Bennett, vice president, stats & information group, ESPN. “The new long-term agreement creates a runway for both sides to ideate into the future using augmented reality live execution concepts in ways that unlock the next generation of fan experiences.”

ESPN and Genius Sports have previously worked together in a variety of capacities from powering immersive “altcasts” such as the NBA ‘Marvel Arena of Heroes’ presentation in 2021 to collaborating on live broadcast augmentations for immersive experiences around the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

“Following on from our work with ESPN to power the first fully branded sports broadcast with Marvel and immersive March Madness augmented megacasts, we are delighted to strike a major expansion with ESPN,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “As well as powering crucial NBA and WNBA insights, ESPN can utilize Genius Sports technology to power all of its NCAA data needs including next generation context experiences through our new GeniusIQ technology.”

NEW YORK—The saga for rights to NBA games continues, with Warner Bros. Discovery filing a lawsuit in state court in New York against the NBA. The lawsuit claims that WBD’s TNT Sports had the right to match any offer for a package of NBA names and that the league improperly rejected WBD’s matching offer for a package of rights.

“As an `Incumbent,’ TBS has the right to match any “Third Party Offer” for future NBA telecast rights. TBS timely exercised these matching rights by accepting a Third Party Offer on the same material terms and conditions that the NBA was willing to accept from Amazon. The NBA, however, has breached the Agreement and deliberately refused to honor TBS’s rights, forcing TBS and WBD to seek judicial intervention.” 

The lawsuit filed in “Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, County Of New York; Commercial Division” comes after WBD issued a matching offer on July 22 for rights but was not awarded a package when the league announced $77 billion worth of new contracts with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon on July 24.  The new contracts take effect in the 2025-26 season and would end a decades long run of NBA games on Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). 

The publicly available copy of the lawsuit is redacted, with dollar amounts for the rights blacked out but the suit claims that “TBS has a vested interest in maintaining these distribution rights and its carefully developed 40-year brand. On top of the billions of dollars it pays the NBA for the distribution rights, TBS has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in production and talent, including its award-winning Inside the NBA program with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. TBS’s productions have been widely acclaimed for their best-in-class content and quality and have won over 20 Sports Emmys.”

Barkley has in the past loudly criticized WBD’s management for their handling of the negotiations and some analysts have highlighted the risks of filling suit against the NBA. 

A note to investors called “We Do Not Understand Warner Bros. Discovery’s NBA Strategy” by LightShed analysts Richard Greenfield, Brandon Ross And Mark Kelley noted that “For the past couple of years, Turner talked about how they would only renew their NBA contract if the terms made financial sense. They said that the NBA was not a must-have for Turner and they raised the broader issue that licensing (renting) sports rights was not as compelling as creating content that they owned and controlled” even though “investors have been increasingly concerned that without the NBA, Turner was at risk of carriage drops or meaningful reductions in sub fees.”

The analysts noted that in contrast to WBD, ESPN, who also had to renew their contract, repeatedly talked about their love of the NBA and the importance of the product” and Disney was able to land a new contract. 

The analysts also stressed that WBD was negotiating with the NBA “without the key members who negotiated the last Turner/NBA deal and without senior executives that had a long-standing NBA relationship (due to personnel changes when AT&T took over and as a result of WBD merger)” and that the company failed to come to a deal during the “during the exclusive window. We believe all parties were ready to sign off on Turner maintaining the NBA for the next 11 years for several hundred million less than NBCU is now committed to paying. Turner walked away from the deal and let the exclusive negotiating window expire, creating an opportunity for NBCU. NBCU seized the opportunity and never looked back.”

The analysts also questioned whether the WBD lawsuit would be successful. “It is hard to understand what legal footing WBD has to sue the NBA, given that WBD wants to air the Amazon package of games on linear (Turner) and streaming (Max) versus on streaming-only as Amazon plans” and noted that even if the suit is successful, “Turner will be an 11-year partner with the NBA, with both sides hating each other.” In addition, “Amazon will be furious, with Amazon the single largest distribution partner for Max via Amazon Channels. Hard not to see how this will come back to hurt Max in the future.”

“Now, let’s say, WBD goes to court and loses,” the note concluded, which would “irreparably destroy their relationship with NBA and send a negative signal to other leagues who might want to do business with WBD/Turner.”

NEW YORK—As part of a $2.5 billion media rights deal with the NBA announced on July 24, NBCUniversal and the NBA have also announced an 11-year agreement for rights to WNBA regular season and playoff games.

Starting in 2026, NBCU will be the home of 50+ national WNBA regular season games every season (across USA Network, Peacock, and NBC). The agreement will also see three WNBA Finals Series, multiple first-round playoff, and semi-final games across NBCU platforms over the deal’s 11 years.

“Returning to NBCU at a time when momentum around the WNBA and women’s basketball has never been higher presents numerous opportunities to engage with new fans and grow the league’s core audience,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We look forward to bringing WNBA games to NBCU’s vast audiences on its networks and platforms, which will not only help elevate the league but also enhance the storytelling of the WNBA’s incredible athletes.”

As previously reported the agreement, the agreement features substantial yearly coverage across NBC and Peacock that will include 100 national NBA regular-season, a robust lineup of playoff games, and the NBA All-Star Game. Conference Finals Series will be featured six times throughout the 11-year span. The partnership ensures NBCUniversal will have more NBA playoff games each season on average than any other NBA media partner.

In addition to extensive NBA and WNBA coverage, NBCUniversal acquires the rights to Team USA men’s and women’s games leading into the Olympics for 2028, 2032, and 2036. Fans can also look forward to select NBA games and every NBA All-Star Game on Telemundo.

In terms of the NBA deal, Peacock is front and center, offering approximately 50 exclusive NBA national regular-season and postseason games lined up, anchored by Peacock Monday Nights and doubleheaders late in the season. The all-new Sunday Night Basketball “Game of the Week” franchise will air at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. It will also present a one-hour pregame show leading up to tip-off every Sunday night. Fans can also expect national coverage of Tuesday regional matchups at 8 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports will host the first games every NBA season with an opening night Tuesday doubleheader.

NEW YORK—The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced the renewal of its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and new agreements with NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Amazon under which ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video will telecast NBA games for 11 years beginning with the 2025-26 season and running through the 2035-36 season.

The agreements left Warner Bros. Discovery without NBA rights after the end of the upcoming 2024-25 season even though WBD filed a matching offer on July 22 for the Amazon package, saying it had the right to match any agreement under its current contract. 

"We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," TNT Sports said in a statement that also argued “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action.” 

The NBA has said that the WBD offer did not match Amazon’s and was rejected. 

The NBA did not release financial terms of the deals, which are believed to be worth $77 billion over 11 years. The annual costs are believed to be $2.6 billion a year for Disney's ABC and ESPN, $2.5 billion a year for the NBCUniversal and $1.8 billion a season with Amazon. 

TNT Sports and its predecessor Turner Sports have aired NBA games since 1984 but its current deal expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. 

The NBA also reported that the NBA App will be a universal access point – seamlessly directing fans to every national game on Disney, NBCU and Amazon platforms.

Overall, the new media deals will expand the reach of NBA telecasts, with all national games available on broadly distributed streaming services – Prime Video, Peacock and ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service – and with dramatically increased exposure on broadcast television.  Approximately 75 regular-season games will be on broadcast TV each season, up from the minimum of 15 games under the current agreement, the NBA said 

Disney, NBCU and Amazon also secured the right to distribute an unprecedented number of WNBA live game telecasts, with a significant increase in the reach of WNBA games across broadcast, cable and streaming.  Full details regarding the WNBA’s media agreements will be issued in a separate press release.

“Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.  “These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”

“We look forward to building upon our incredible legacy of innovation and growth with our longstanding partners at the NBA,” said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.  “The NBA is a vibrant, ascendant league and through this premium collection of rights, including every NBA Finals on our platforms, we will continue to evolve together while successfully navigating the global digital transition and delivering the highest quality coverage for fans.”

“We are proud to once again partner with the NBA and WNBA, two iconic brands and the home of the best basketball in the world,” said Mike Cavanagh, president of Comcast Corporation.  “We look forward to presenting our best-in-class coverage of both leagues with our innovative programming and distribution plan across NBC and Peacock to entertain fans and help grow the game.”

“We are honored that the NBA has entrusted Prime Video to deliver its one-of-a-kind action and excitement to viewers around the world,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.  “We look forward to continuing to innovate and evolve live sports coverage for our customers, and are fully committed to building an incredible video experience for millions of NBA fans starting in 2025.”

The agreements for each of the companies break down as follows: 

• Disney (ABC/ESPN) will distribute a total of 80 NBA regular-season games per season, including more than 20 games on ABC (generally on Saturday nights with NBA Saturday Primetime and on Sunday afternoons with NBA Sunday Showcase) and up to 60 games on ESPN (generally on Wednesday nights and, on occasion, Friday nights).  ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast all five NBA games on Christmas Day and provide exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season. During the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement.  ABC will remain the exclusive home of the NBA Finals, which it has broadcast since 2003. All NBA games and events on ABC/ESPN will be available on ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service.  ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Lottery and half of all NBA Summer League games.  ABC/ESPN platforms will also continue to distribute a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games. Disney will distribute NBA games on ESPN-branded assets in several international markets, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and the Netherlands, and via Disney+ in select markets in Asia and Europe. By the end of this renewal, the NBA’s partnership with ABC/ESPN will reach 34 years.
• NBCUniversal. NBCU (NBC/Peacock) will distribute up to 100 NBA regular-season games per season – with more than half of the games airing on NBC (on Sunday and Tuesday nights).  NBCU will telecast the league’s opening night doubleheader on NBC each year and at least two games on MLK Day on NBC and/or Peacock each season. Peacock will stream a doubleheader each Monday night of the season.  Every Tuesday night, NBC will telecast two games across certain NBC affiliate broadcast stations in different regions of the country.  The first game will start at 8 p.m. ET and be available on NBC across affiliate stations in the Eastern and Central time zones.  The second game will start at 8 p.m. PT and be available on NBC affiliate stations across the Pacific and Mountain time zones.  All Tuesday games will be available on Peacock nationally and certain stations may choose to televise both games. NBC will become the home of NBA All-Star, including Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, featuring AT&T Slam Dunk, Starry 3-Point Contest and Kia Skills Challenge, and the All-Star Game.  In the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will telecast approximately 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with at least half of those games airing on NBC.  NBC will also telecast one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with Amazon, beginning with the 2025-26 season. As part of the partnership, NBCU will distribute NBA games in several European markets through Sky Sports as well as in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.  Additionally, NBCU will distribute WNBA games and be the home of all USA Basketball Senior Men’s and Women’s National Team games. Xfinity will become the Official TV Service of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball.  The partnership includes collaboration on marketing and storytelling opportunities, virtual signage during game telecasts and activations at marquee NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball events.
• Amazon. Amazon will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games on Prime Video each season, including Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games, at least one game on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the Knockout Round of the Emirates NBA Cup.  In addition, Prime Video will stream the Championship Game of the Emirates NBA Cup. Prime Video will also distribute all six SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament games.  In the playoffs, Prime Video will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds each year.  Additionally, Prime Video will stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with NBCU, beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season. Amazon will distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video, with an expanded package of games in select territories, including Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland.  This expanded package includes a minimum of 20 additional primetime regular season games each year, a Conference Finals series each year, and the NBA Finals in six of the 11 years.  Prime Video will also become the NBA’s strategic partner and third-party global destination of NBA League Pass – the league’s live NBA game subscription service, with expanded distribution rights for NBA League Pass in the U.S. and internationally.  Additionally, as part of the agreement, Prime Video will stream half of all NBA Summer League games as well as a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.

NEW YORK—In a last ditch effort to retain rights to air NBA games, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports has issued a statement saying it has submitted paperwork to match an existing offer for NBA media rights. 

WBD has long argued that its current NBA contract allows it to retain rights if it provides a matching offer for a package of games.

The NBA has already negotiated rights deals believed to be worth around $76 billion for an 11 year period following the upcoming 2024-25 season. Those agreements include a $2.6 billion a year deal with ESPN, a $2.5 billion package with NBCUniversal and a $1.8 billion a season agreement for Amazon to stream a package of games. TNT Sports and its predecessor Turner Sports have aired NBA games since 1984 but its current deal expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. 

WBD's management was severely criticized by TNT commentator Charles Barkley for its failure to negotiate a new deal. “These people I work with, they screwed this thing up, clearly; and we have zero idea what's gonna happen,” Barkley said in May.  The company had $43.1 billion in debt at the end of Q1 2024 and has been struggling to reduce costs. 

“"We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them," a statement from TNT Sports said. "This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years. Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract." 

TNT Sports did not say which offer it matched but published reports indicate that it was matching Amazon’s $1.8 billion package.

Since the Amazon package is for streaming games and TNT Sports would obviously like to continue to air games on both its cable networks and the MAX streaming services, it is not clear how the NBA will respond or if the controversy will now move into the courts.     

As part of an effort to boost revenue since going public, Reddit has announced a partnership program with major sports leagues that will bring more sports highlights to the Reddit platform and open up new advertising opportunities on Reddit via video ads, automotive model ads (AMAs), and other formats.

The new partnership program will involved many of the most popular sports leagues in the U.S. including the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, and NASCAR to bring content to Reddit communities. 

In making the announcements, Reddit noted that the major sports leagues are some of “our most engaged Reddit Pro users and best-in-class examples of the power of engagement within Reddit communities. In addition, sports are one of Reddit’s most popular and fastest-growing (at +26% YOY) interest groups, bringing together highly engaged fans across over 1000 communities.” 

“We believe these new partnerships can enhance our community experience with content that fans want while enabling advertisers to align with expanded fan content on Reddit,” Reddit said in a blog post. “Through our official partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, and NASCAR, redditors will gain access to video highlights from games and tournaments, player AMAs, behind-the-scenes videos, and more special content posted by the leagues throughout their seasons and including during major events like Super Bowl and NBA All-Star.”

The effort builds on a test with the NFL during the 2023-24 season that saw FanDuel, Samsung, Ford, Volkswagen of America and several others advertise on the platform. “During the test, an alcoholic beverage brand saw a +11.3 point lift in purchase intent, a +9.4 point lift in brand favorability, and a 5.9 point lift in awareness by activating alongside premium video content from the NFL,” Reddit reported. 

“Reddit is the go-to destination for sports fans around the world because it’s the place where they can dive deeper than anywhere else, and connect with other fans beyond the season and throughout the year,” said Reddit’s COO Jen Wong said in a statement. “The country’s major sports leagues see the opportunity to reach global audiences on Reddit. We’re continuing to build more ways for businesses and organizations to engage with Reddit’s communities; this benefits our communities, program partners, and advertisers.”

Reddit also noted that there are over 1,000 active communities in the sports category. Those produced 20.4 billion screen views to communities in the sports category in the last 12 months (up 26% YoY) and 249 million global monthly engagements (posts, votes, comments) in sports communities on Reddit. 

Basketball fans in China are being treated to live coverage of the NBA Finals on several IMAX screens in a demonstration of the company’s “IMAX Live Experience.”

The games are being broadcast on the giant 59x79 foot screens in three IMAX theaters in Taiwan and one in Hong Kong, according to Vikrum Arumilli, SVP and GM of the IMAX Streaming Division. The four theaters are part of the company’s stable of 1,700 theaters worldwide, 250 of which are connected via IMAX Live technology that delivers high-res content over IP to the theaters and monitored by an NOC just outside of Toronto.

The four IMAX theaters showing the NBA finals in Hong Kong and Taiwan, however are not connected and despite this challenge, in a deal struck with NBA China less than a month ago, IMAX arranged to provide a live feed over a basic IP network at just 19 Mbps, via LTN’s distribution platform.

“We had to figure out what technology we could use to deliver the IMAX-quality experience to fans, and we came up with a way to utilize our streaming technology, to optimize quality and ensure that even in a very bandwidth-constrained environment that these four theaters present, that we're able to deliver quality that matches what we do for our live experiences in theaters with the kind of regular connectivity that we built,” said Arumilli. 

“The main technology behind it is our StreamSmart technology that we offer to streaming services where we optimize quality and do so in a way that minimizes bandwidth usage,”Arumilli added. “So we're basically able to take a mediocre quality feed, but ensure that it meets the needs of a 70 foot screen.” 

In addition to entertaining NBA fans who can’t make it to the finals in person, the live shows also demonstrate a basic proof of concept for IMAX’s technology, according to Arumilli. “It was a test for a limited footprint for now,” he said. 

Setting up the theater for the shows was fairly easy and quick, said Arumilli, who described the setup as “jerry-rigged.”

“We basically took the broadcast feed that we received from the NBA, and using Content Aware encoding and our StreamSmart technology we were able to reduce the bitrate significantly while maintaining IMAX quality images at an average of 18 Mbps to the connected projectors, and so it was a pretty agile, quick set up,” he said. “What is impressive about it is, instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up a theater, we were able to do it on the cheap, very quickly.”

Since the theaters are not part of the IMAX network, the company had personnel on site in the theaters monitoring the feeds via the company’s StreamAware technology, according to Arumilli 

“We were  constantly monitoring quality using our [StreamAware] vision science technology, and the results showed that the quality never dipped thanks to what we were doing with StreamSmart,” Arumilli said.

The theaters have sold out both of the first two games of the NBA Finals, according to Arumilli, who adds that IMAX has even bigger plans for its StreamSmart technology this summer, livecasting the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympics on July 26 to the 250 IMAX connected theaters worldwide.  

That show will be a bit more “straightforward,” and won’t present the challenges that go with providing a live feed of the high-action NBA Finals, Arumilli said. 

“Basketball is tough given how fast the action moves, it's tougher to compress,” he said. “The opening ceremony is going to move at a snail's pace compared to that.”

As the NBA playoffs heat up on TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery and FuboTV have been unable to reach a new distribution deal. That impasse forced the vMVPD to drop TNT and other WBD networks from its lineup at 5 p.m. ET on April 30. 

FuboTV positions itself as a streaming provider of sports services and the loss of TNT during the playoffs could hurt its sub counts. 

In a statement, Fubo said that it “Fubo has attempted to renew with Warner Brothers Discovery our Discovery content agreement for its networks including Discovery, HGTV, Food Network and TLC, among others, and to obtain license rights for its Turner sports networks TNT, TBS and truTV. Fubo offered Warner Brothers Discovery market rates for its content and, despite Fubo’s efforts to negotiate in good faith, Warner Brothers Discovery did not provide any counteroffer, and insisted on continuing to offer us above-market rates for its content. Fubo views Warner Brothers Discovery's refusal to engage in good faith negotiations as another example of its abuse of massive market power that ultimately limits consumer choice.”

WBD, which had $43.66 billion in debt at the end of 2023, has been struggling to cut costs and boost revenue. WBD's stock dropped on April 30 over speculation that Comcast’s NBC might outbid it in the next round of NBA rights. 

Fubo also complained that WBD “has also denied our customers the choice of subscribing to their Turner sports content separately from Discovery content through a more affordable skinny sports bundle.”

Fubo has sued WBD, Disney and Fox for their proposed sports streaming bundle. “Warner Bros. Discovery's refusal to offer Fubo standard market terms and packaging flexibility are more examples of the unfair and anti-competitive practices it and other vertically integrated media companies have imposed on Fubo for many years. These practices, outlined in our recent antitrust lawsuit filed against the joint venture companies, aim to monopolize the market, stifle any form of competition, create higher pricing for subscribers and cheat consumers from deserved choice. Fubo is taking action against these unfair market terms to avoid passing on these extra costs to consumers.”

[Editor's note: TV Tech will add a statement from Warner Bros. Discovery on the blackout when it releases one.]

ATLANTA—Gray Television says it will broadcast 10 Dallas Mavericks games during the rest of the 2023-24 regular season free, over-the-air in the Lubbock and Sherman-Ada DMAs.

These Dallas Mavericks games will begin  Friday, March 1, when the Mavericks play in Boston. The 10 Mavericks games will air on Gray’s stations KXII in Sherman-Ada and KLCW and KMYL in Lubbock.

The latest announcement adds more free major league sports broadcasts to Gray’s TV lineup. The station group also airs the Phoenix NBA and Mercury WNBA teams on its Phoenix-owned stations and New Orleans Pelicans on its New Orleans station.  

The Mavericks games will not be available on Bally Sports or Bally Sports+ streaming. Aside from these 10 games and games exclusively airing on ABC, ESPN, and TNT, all other remaining Mavericks games this season will be aired and streamed via Bally Sports Southwest and Bally Sports+ as normal, Gray said.

“Gray Television is proud to partner with the Dallas Mavericks to bring the Mavs games to its fans and its future fans through our stations in Lubbock, Texas and Sherman, Texas,” said Sandy Breland, the Chief Operating Officer of Gray Television.

TYSONS, Va. & DALLAS—Tegna Inc. has reached an agreement with the Dallas Mavericks to expand the markets that will offer free over-the-air broadcasts of the teams NBA games. 

The new agreement means that in addition to previously announced deal for Tegna's Dallas-Fort-Worth ABC affiliate to air 10 games, Tegna’s KCEN in Waco, KYTX in Tyler, KWES in Midland-Odessa, KIDY in San Angelo and KXVA in Abilene will also air 10 Dallas Mavericks games this season. Nearly nine million Texans will have access to these games across these six markets.

“Providing access to games has always been our top priority,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “We are thrilled to work with additional Tegna stations to bring more fun and excitement to our MFFLs across Texas.”

“We are very proud to expand our partnership with the Dallas Mavericks, one of the hottest teams in the NBA coming out of the All-Star break, to make these important late-season games available to more fans across Texas,” said Brad Ramsey, senior vice president of media operations for Tegna.  

The NBA and Diamond Sports Group earlier reached agreement to allow teams to join with local broadcasters for a limited number of over-the-air games during the remainder of the regular season. 

The 10 games airing on Tegna stations’ schedules will not be available on Bally Sports Southwest or the Bally Sports app. All other remaining Mavericks games this season will be aired and streamed by Bally Sports, and/or by the NBA’s national media partners, as previously scheduled. 

Mark Followill, in his 19th season as the Mavericks play-by-play announcer, Mavericks legends Derek Harper and Devin Harris, along with Jeff “Skin” Wade and Lesley McCaslin will be on the call for these games, with pre- and postgame coverage from Dana Larson and Brian Dameris.

NEW YORK—Echoing comments made earlier this month by senior executives at Disney and Fox during quarterly earnings calls, Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav is insisting that their new sports streaming joint venture would not increase cord cutting. 

“We don't see a lot of people unsubscribing to cable in order to get this,” Zaslav said during the WBD Q4 2023 earnings call with analysts. “We're going after the 60 million plus doors that are -- they're not thinking about getting cable when they get their own apartments.”

“Look, there's about 125 million households in America and there's more than 60 million of those that are not in the traditional bundled cable ecosystem,” Zaslav also said. “And we see that with things like Bleacher Report, where we have 30 million people mostly under 30 that the overwhelming majority are not in the traditional cable universe, but they love sports. They're on Bleacher and House of Highlights all day. And so we have a very rich target of over 60 million people that love sports. And it's a product that's quite modern.”

Zaslav was not asked by analysts about the Fubo lawsuit against the JV partners Disney, WBD and Fox alleging antitrust violations.

 A number of analysts have been worried about the JV’s impact on the pay TV industry, arguing that it will accelerate pay TV sub losses.  

In terms of the ongoing negotiations with the NBA to renew the TNT NBA rights, Zaslav said “We have a strong positive 40-year relationship with the NBA. And in terms of our NBA rights, we are now fully engaged in renewal discussions, and they are constructive and productive. Our global sports portfolio continues to provide real meaningful value to all of our platforms.”

During the call WBD CFO added that in terms of the NBA, “as you know, we're in the middle of exclusive discussions here, so I want to lift it up maybe one level to a general statement on how we look at sports rights. We're spending close to $20 billion sort of, on content and programming in the broadest sense, and every dollar we spend plays a different role across the portfolio. We generally like to own our content. That's not the case with sports, but we obviously acknowledge the enormous value, reach value, emotional value of these deals. And we have been able to strike profitable deals and we're always going to be disciplined. It's very easy to lose control over sports rights investments. That's not what we do. We're going -- we know exactly what value we assign and we stay disciplined during our discussions….And if you take that into account, I think we have enormous opportunity to be much more efficient with our content spend overall across the entire company, and that will include certain areas in which, you're right, you probably have to assume that there is inflation going forward. On the NBA specifically, we've had a very, very strong partnership for 40 years, and I certainly hope that we're going to be able to continue that in the most positive way.”

The NBA reportedly wants $75 billion for its U.S. media rights. Potential bidders for the rights currently held by WBD’s TNT include Disney, which also has rights to games on ABC and ESPN, as well as Amazon and NBCU.