Executives at NBC are sitting near the scores table and preparing to get back in the game. A report from Alex Sherman of CNBC has suggested that NBC Universal is “directly competing with Warner Bros. Discovery to be the league’s second traditional TV partner, along with ESPN.”
NBC Universal is reportedly interested in obtaining “a package that would include playoff games to air on NBC’s broadcast network.” Additionally, the company is also hoping to make some regular season games “exclusive” to its streaming platform, Peacock. Not to mention, the company also has access to Sky, which could serve as an additional outlet to air games internationally.
NBC Universal is not the only company looking to get into the NBA broadcasting business. Previously, Amazon and Apple have expressed interest in purchasing rights to the league’s broadcasts. Despite interest from a variety of companies, the NBA has indicated that no formal talks have taken place between the league and NBC Universal regarding a new deal. However, a spokesperson with the league did tell CNBC that the NBA has “a longtime relationship with Comcast/NBA as a previous NBA national TV rightsholder and through many of our teams’ partnerships with NBC Sports regional sports networks.”
Currently, the league has broadcast deals with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent companies of NBA and TNT. As it stands, both deals run through at least the 2024-2025 NBA season.
