NBA unveils new media rights deal for 2025: NBC, Amazon join ESPN as broadcasters

The NBA has some new homes for 2025 and beyond.

ESPN will retain its rights, while NBC and Amazon will join as new broadcast partners starting for the 2025-26 season. The league officially announced the 11-year deal through 2036 on Wednesday.

“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 in a written statement. “These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”

TNT, which has aired games since 1988, will enter its 37th and final year of coverage with the 2024-25 season. Warner Bros. Discover, TNT’s parent company, initially attempted to match Amazon’s offer but was rebuffed by the league.

ESPN/ABC will air the NBA Finals, a conference final (in 10 of 11 years), weekly primetime games (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, plus Friday after football season), all five Christmas Day games and the WNBA. The network has held the NBA Finals rights since 2003, when it took over for NBC. ESPN will retain the rights to the All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Lottery and half of all Summer League games.

John Tesh, composer of the NBA on NBC theme song, discusses its origins, hearing it for the first time and even performs the song.

NBC’s package will include “Basketball Night in America” on Sundays after the NFL season of Sunday Night Football concludes, plus two primetime windows a week (Tuesday and Peacock exclusive doubleheader on Monday) and conference semifinals. NBC also takes over the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities from TNT.

After gaining the rights to Thursday Night Football in 2021 and NASCAR for 2025, Amazon is entering the basketball world with the In-Season Tournament, Play-In Tournament, first-round playoff games and the WNBA streaming live on Prime Video. During the regular season, Amazon will air Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games and at least one game on Black Friday.

NBC and Amazon will alternate showing a conference finals series (6 of 11 years each), while ESPN wins guaranteed a conference finals series in 10 of 11 years.