The College Football Playoff (CFP), ESPN and TNT Sports have announced kick times and broadcast information for the 2025 CFP First Round, which will launch the second year of the 12-team Playoff.

“We are pleased to work with both ESPN and TNT Sports to deliver these first-round games to fans across the country in premier viewing windows,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “We also appreciate the collaboration with the National Football League in coordinating schedules to best serve fans of both college and professional football. This all reflects the growing reach and excitement surrounding the new Playoff format, and we look forward to showcasing the best of college football on both networks.”

The 2025-26 edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff will begin with the first CFP First Round game on Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN. First round action will continue on Saturday, Dec. 20, as ABC and ESPN will broadcast the first game of Saturday’s tripleheader at noon ET, while TNT will present games at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. ET, respectively. All games on ESPN networks will be available on the ESPN App, while the first-round games airing on TNT and truTV will also be streamed on HBO Max. Each of the four first-round games will be played on campuses to be announced on Selection Day, Dec. 7.

In April, it was announced that ESPN will present each of the four Playoff Quarterfinals, the two Playoff Semifinals and the 2026 CFP National Championship, slated for Monday, Jan. 19, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

The CFP National Championship returns to Miami for the first time since the 2021 contest, marking the second straight season the national championship game will return to a city for a second time, after Atlanta hosted the title contests in 2018 and 2025.

Last season, the inaugural CFP First Round delivered 10.6 million average viewers across ESPN networks and TNT Sports.

The quartet of Playoff Quarterfinals scored multi-year viewership highs, while the CFP Semifinals produced the most-watched Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on record (20.6M viewers) and the second-most-watched Capital One Orange Bowl in nearly 20 years (17.8M viewers). The 2025 CFP National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame attracted 22.1 million viewers, the most-watched non-NFL sporting event over the past year. The showdown peaked with 26.1 million viewers. ESPN reported.

TNT Sports and Eurosport have announced details of their coverage of the French Open, the year’s second grand slam event on the professional tennis tour, taking place at Roland-Garros Stadium in Paris for two weeks starting May 25.

TNT Sports will operate two on-site studios from Musketeers Square, where distinct shows will be presented for U.S. and U.K. audiences.

This year marks the first time that U.S. TV coverage of the French Open—a staple of NBC for more than four decades—has moved from broadcast to cable. Last year, TNT inked a $650 million deal for U.S. broadcast rights to the French Open for the next 10 years, starting in 2025.

TNT Sports and Eurosport will present Roland-Garros exclusively for viewers across Europe (excluding France) and the U.S. through a single global on-site production. TNT Sports will operate two on-site studios from Musketeers Square where distinct shows will be presented for U.S. and UK audiences, in addition to a dedicated set between courts four and five for truTV viewers in the US. Eurosport’s live broadcast will take place from around the grounds, as it has done in recent years, offering viewers across Europe unique perspectives and giving them an authentic taste of the atmosphere at Roland-Garros.

In the U.K. and Ireland, TNT Sports 4 will feaure wall-to-wall coverage alongside TNT Sports 1, which will show the biggest matches. Viewers across Europe can tune in to Eurosport 2 for daylong coverage during week one, with evening coverage on Eurosport 1, before all the action comes to Eurosport 1 in week two.

For U.S. viewers, live on-court action begins across all platforms each day at 5 a.m. ET. Live shows will also air before all 11 night sessions, with play beginning from around 2:30 p.m. ET; ahead of the men’s and women’s singles semi-finals from around 8 a.m. ET; for the women’s final from around 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 7; and the men’s final at the same time on Sunday, June 8.

Harnessing its network of local free-to-air channels in Europe, viewers in Germany (Eurosport 1), Denmark (Kanal 5 and 6’eren), Sweden (Kanal 9), Finland (TV5) Norway (Rex), Spain and Turkey (DMAX) will also show selected matches throughout the tournament alongside Eurosport’s wide-ranging premium coverage.

TNT Sports’ U.S. television coverage will be served to viewers on TNT, focusing on the best matches and key storylines, as well as expansive daily whiparound action on truTV from 5 p.m. ET, in addition to hosting daily morning and evening shows from its Roland-Garros studios.

In total, more than 900 matches, including all the Legends, Wheelchair and Junior contests ,will be made available to Max viewers in the U.S. and Europe, with Max and Discovery+ viewers in Austria, Italy, Germany and the U.K. able to select commentary in up to 21 languages no matter where they are watching from. All 16 match court feeds will be available, as well as additional press conference feeds and cameras from across the grounds. Innovative in-app features, such as timeline markers, which enable users to quickly scrub back to key moments such as set point, are also included.

“The combined skillset of the broadcasting superpower that is TNT Sports and Eurosport means that coverage of Roland-Garros in 2025 is going to be the most elevated and comprehensive tennis broadcast ever witnessed, said Scott Young, group SVP, content, production and business operations, WBD Sports Europe. “Our sports and production expertise are unparalleled and together we can operate one global production, telling the most authentic and engaging stories from on-site at Roland-Garros, connecting to over 49 territories, with a locally relevant editorial slant for our viewers - no matter if they are watching in Washington or Warsaw, London or Lisbon.

“Our extraordinary lineup of presenters, experts, and commentators will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of every story,“ Young added..“Through our distinguished tennis heritage as a passionate broadcaster of Roland-Garros for 36 years in Europe, coupled with the fresh and innovative approach TNT Sports U.S. brings, we will deliver a pioneering 21st-century production that will celebrate the players and set a new standard for tennis fans all around the world.”

PITTSBURGH—NEP Group is continuing to invest in its fleet of mobile units dedicated to remote productions with the addition of a new facility now supporting the NHL on TNT for the 2024-2025 NHL regular season and postseason.

The new mobile unit, named Supershooter 64 within NEP’s industry-leading global fleet, is the newest NEP facility designed specifically to support remote productions – often referred to as REMI productions – adding to a lineup of six similar units making remote workflows seamless for broadcasters and rightsholders across the U.S. Supershooter 64 offers additional flexibility with space to handle onsite production, featuring a dedicated production space accommodating eight people, an audio control room, and a video shading area.

Supershooter 64 is designed to be adaptable, offering a slim, flexible profile while still packing production technology. The unit features 12 Sony 2500 cameras, along with a full suite of audio and communications equipment, ensuring high-quality coverage of live events with a reduced onsite footprint.

Initially, the facility is supporting the NHL on TNT and will later serve TNT’s Major League Baseball coverage, MLS Season Pass and productions for NBC.

“As live production continues to evolve, we continue to invest in facilities offering the very best remote production technologies, and Supershooter 64 is another piece of this long-term commitment,” said Mike Werteen, president, NEP Americas and global chief commercial officer.

“Over the last year we’ve seen tremendous growth and success delivering facilities that connect the action onsite to NEP production hubs and customer facilities, enabling production teams to work from wherever they need to produce amazing content for their audiences,” he continued. “We're incredibly proud to say our connected and remote solutions are supporting significant projects for the PGA TOUR, MLS Season Pass, multiple productions for NBC Sports, ESPN, NASCAR, and the NWSL.”

Visit nepgroup.com to learn more about NEP’s media services and connected production solutions.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The FCC has granted a petition by Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT and TBS networks for a limited waiver of the FCC’s audio description rules. In making the decision, the FCC noted that the petition was not opposed and that the networks had committed to providing a large amount of programming with audio descriptions. It also said that the American Council for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind consented to the grant of the waiver.

“Specifically, WBD requests that the Commission grant TBS and TNT, two of the top five nonbroadcast networks, a limited waiver of section 79.3(b)(4) of the Commission’s audio description rules, subject to certain conditions,” the FCC noted in its description. “Because WBD has made a commitment to provide a substantial amount of audio description on TBS and TNT, as well as on TruTV, that exceeds the current quarterly requirement, and because the unopposed Petition has the support of advocates for blind and visually impaired consumers, we grant the limited waiver for TBS and TNT.” 

In the decision, which is available here, the FCC also said that “WBD’s proposed conditions for TBS are comparable to the ones granted in the 2021 TBS Order. We also acknowledge that WBD has committed to providing additional audio described programming on its affiliate network, TruTV. Specifically, TruTV will audio describe all newly produced, non-live programming aired between 6:00 a.m. and midnight ET within three business days of receipt for scripted programming, and within seven business days of receipt for non-scripted programming.   Regarding TNT, WBD’s proposal of 2,500 hours per calendar year of audio described programming without regard to the number of repeats exceeds the minimum hours required by the rules  and is `tailored to reflect the greater amount of repeat, live, and near-live programming on TNT’ as compared to TBS.   As with TruTV, TNT also will audio describe all newly produced, non-live programming aired between 6:00 a.m. and midnight ET within three business days of receipt for scripted programming, and within seven business days of receipt for non-scripted programming. Moreover, we take notice of WBD’s indication that the American Council for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind consent to the grant of the waiver.   We find that granting WBD’s Petition, with the aforementioned conditions, has the potential to expand accessible content for viewers who are blind or visually impaired.”

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.]

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.  

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida—New NASCAR sports rights deals with Amazon’s Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports will see more sports available on streaming media in 2025.  

In addition to the new deals with Prime Video and TNT, Fox and NBC also renewed their deals with NASCAR. They will continue to carry the majority of races, with 14 events on each broadcaster. 

Under the new seven-year media rights agreement, beginning in 2025, Prime Video will be the exclusive home of five NASCAR Cup Series races in the early summer. NASCAR joins the growing Prime Video catalog of top tier live sports in the U.S.

Starting in 2025, TNT Sports will return to covering NASCAR as the exclusive home to five NASCAR Cup Series races each Summer, airing in consecutive weeks on TNT and B/R Sports Add-On on Max. Additionally, truTV and Max will exclusively simulcast the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series practices and qualifying sessions each season.

“We’re thrilled to bring the excitement and power of NASCAR to our Prime members, with five Cup Series races coming to Prime Video each season, starting in 2025,” said Jay Marine, vice president and global head of sports, Prime Video. “NASCAR Cup Series racing is an iconic American tradition, and it will be a sensational addition to the lineup of premium live sports on Prime Video.”

"With their compelling innovations in streaming multiple live feeds and data-driven insights, Prime Video has quickly become a staple in the homes of millions of consumers and sports fans throughout the country, including many NASCAR fans," said NASCAR president Steve Phelps. "We are thrilled to pair our proven ability to bring a large-scale audience of passionate fans with Prime Video's potential to introduce our sport to new viewers utilizing their unique platform beginning in 2025.” 

As part of the TNT Sports agreement, the new deal will also include expansive digital rights for content streaming via the B/R Sports Add-On on the Max streaming service — allowing for the full use of new technologies to develop immersive viewing experiences — and highlight rights for Bleacher Report’s digital and social platforms, the companies said. 

“We are thrilled to welcome NASCAR back to TNT Sports, and build on our rich, shared history of providing immersive fan experiences that only our world-class team can deliver,” said Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. “This agreement expands our portfolio of premium sports content throughout the Summer and further elevates Max and our leading linear networks. We look forward to utilizing all of our resources to create new opportunities for compelling storytelling that connects with our fans, as we present the thrilling action and excitement on the track in innovative ways throughout the entire NASCAR season.”

“TNT Sports has a premium live sports portfolio with proven, high-quality distribution to millions of sports fans across both cable television and now direct-to-consumer with the exciting opportunities to innovate on Max," said NASCAR president, Steve Phelps. "We are thrilled to reunite with their talented team to bring America’s leading motorsport back to TNT Sports as a key pillar of their live sports programming mix in 2025.”

This will mark the continuation of TNT Sports’ 32-year relationship with NASCAR, a collaboration that began in 1983 and one that has been centered on innovation and creativity that was instrumental to the growth of the sport.

ATLANTA—TNT is reporting that its coverage of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 averaged 11.9 million total viewers on Monday night when the Miami Heat clinched the title with a 103-84 win over the Boston Celtics.

That made it TNT’s most-watched NBA ECF Game ever—surpassing Heat/Pacers, Game 7 (11.6 million viewers in 2013)—and TNT’s third most-watched NBA game ever.  

The network’s coverage of the seven-game series averaged 7.4 million viewers to garner TNT’s most viewed ECF coverage in a decade, and a 6% lift in viewership vs. the same matchup in 2022, TNT announced, citing Nielsen data. 

Monday night’s ECF Game 7 telecast peaked with an average of 14.2 million viewers between 10-10:15 p.m. ET and was the No. 1 program of the night across all of cable. 

Overall, TNT’s 2023 NBA Playoffs coverage has led the network to win the night on cable in primetime 24 times, while propelling the network to cable’s top ranking in primetime throughout the past five weeks. 

Boston’s last second Game 6 win on Saturday night averaged 8.7 million viewers to garner TNT’s most viewed ECF Game 6 ever and the most watched on any network in 11 years.  

TNT finished with its most watched NBA Playoffs coverage in five years, with an average of 4.7 million total viewers, up 14% vs. last year. The network also registered double digit gains across all key demos including People 18-34 (+21%), People 18-49 (+18%) and People 25-54 (+20%) when compared to 2022.  

On social media and mobile platforms, WBD Sports also reported record-breaking data for the NBA Playoffs coverage:

• Bleacher Report’s social platforms generated 31% more engagements on NBA-related content vs. 2022, setting a new record.
• NBA on TNT’s social accounts produced a 21% increase in engagements vs. 2022, setting a new record.
• The B/R App also set a record for time spent in NBA Streams, beating the previous record set in 2021 by 9%. 

ATLANTA—Turner Sports is taking to the ice, announcing a seven-year broadcast and digital rights agreement with the NHL to bring hockey to its TNT and TBS networks, as well as HBO Max, starting with the 2021-2022 season.

Turner will make up the second half of NHL’s broadcast rights package, along with ESPN, which announced its deal with the league back in March.

The deal also officially signals the end of the NHL’s tenure on NBC, which had been the broadcast home of hockey since 2005.

The deal with Turner Sports, which is a division of WarnerMedia, will bring 72 exclusive national regular season games to its networks, half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs each year and exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals in three of the seven years of the deal; ESPN has the rights to the other years of Stanley Cup Finals and playoff games. In addition, TNT will exclusively present the NHL Winter Classic each year, as well as other live events.

Live game, studio coverage and other programming details will be announced in the months ahead.

In addition, the deal includes a multimedia agreement between Turner Sports and the NHL for live streaming and digital rights across WarnerMedia for mobile, web, tablets and connected devices. This will include live streaming and simulcasting rights for HBO Max; TV Everywhere rights; and expansive digital and highlight rights for its Bleacher Report platform, with plans to create ancillary programming, events and bespoke digital experiences.

Part of the NHL’s deal with ESPN also included streaming rights for its ESPN+ platform.

The NHL is the second major sport league to put a larger emphasis on digital streaming as part of a new broadcast rights package. The NFL announced that it had agreed to give Amazon Prime Video exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football in its new deal, as well as additional rights to CBS and NBC digital platforms.

No financial details on Turner Sports’ deal with the NHL was shared in the official announcement, but according to multiple reports, the deal is for $225 million a year. ESPN is paying $400 million per year for its share of the rights, per reports.

“Turner Sports is known for its outstanding sports coverage, quality and innovation and we are thrilled that this new partnership will provide our fans with the content they love on the platforms and devices of their choice,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “TNT is a proven and acclaimed destination for sports fans and we will also benefit from the deep connection Bleacher Report has with young digital-savvy fans. Having WarnerMedia join the NHL family as co-rightsholders for the next seven years gives us incredible reach, positions us well for the future as the media landscape continues to evolve, and will fuel continued growth for the NHL and our Clubs.”

NBC will continue to carry the NHL for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season and the NHL playoffs.

NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO—As part of a deal with the National Basketball Association, Turner Sports and Twitter will allow NBA fans to follow single player action via an isolated camera feed during basketball games broadcast on TNT. The option, which will tip off with the 2019 NBA All Star Game Feb. 17, will be offered on 19 other regular season and playoff games and only be available to fans in the United States.

During the second half of the games, fans can vote via Twitter on which player to focus on, then the ISO camera will follow the fans’ selected player for the rest of the game.

“The NBA Twitter community is among the most vibrant in sports and entertainment,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “While watching NBA games on TNT, our fans on Twitter can now enjoy a unique second screen experience that will further enhance the way fans engage with each other and the game.”

“Turner and the NBA have always taken a leadership position in providing fans with engaging experiences and this partnership with Twitter is the latest example,” said David Levy, President of Turner. “This complementary live stream on Twitter – from the distinct vantage point of the fan-voted, most coveted player on a given night – will provide an additive experience for fans to go along with the fully-produced coverage on TNT.”

Since the NBA joined Twitter in 2009, the league says it has built the largest Twitter community of any sports league in the world with 27.5 million followers.

Photo credit: ESPN