NBA on NBC/Peacock: At the Front Bench With Producer Frank DiGraci and Director Pierre Moossa

NBA on NBC/Peacock: At the Front Bench With Producer Frank DiGraci and Director Pierre MoossaThe team meets the challenge of honoring a legacy in a new age of technologyBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 12:51 pm

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For the first time in more than two decades, the NBA is returning to NBC, and with it comes a new era of production innovation and storytelling. As NBC Sports prepares to relaunch its iconic NBA coverage this fall, the broadcaster has assembled an elite team of production veterans to bring the game to fans in fresh, dynamic ways. Along with Executive Producer Sam Flood, Coordinating Producer Frank DiGraci and Director Pierre Moossa will guide the look, feel, and energy of The NBA on NBC across Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday broadcasts.

For Moossa, who began his career as a graphics operator on The NBA on NBC in the 1990s, this moment is a homecoming, a chance to honor the legacy of the original broadcasts while shaping a new chapter for a new generation of fans. For DiGraci, a longtime director for Brooklyn Nets games on YES Network, the move from regional to national coverage represents both a creative challenge and a dream opportunity to showcase his signature mix of storytelling, energy, and authenticity on a national stage.

SVG sat down with Moossa and DiGraci ahead of tonight's tip-off to discuss how they're preparing for launch, the production philosophies guiding the NBA revival, and how they plan to capture the passion, precision, and pageantry of the league's long-awaited return to network television.

NBC Sports' Frank DiGraci: We'll have four crews, and all the crews are going to be equal in terms of their size. We'll do about 35% of the games remotely in Stamford.

Frank, how is it different going to national coverage versus regional coverage?

DiGraci: When I was at YES, we worked with national talent, and they're the ones that gave me the confidence that I could make this jump. There is a thought of national versus regional, and they were just telling me, when I get here, to do your game we've been doing, it's going to translate. They've given me the confidence that, at the end of the day, it's basketball. So how do you present basketball graphically, with replay and storylines? It's all the same. The biggest difference is, I have to focus on two teams 50-50 versus focusing on the home team. But, once the ball's in the air, it's just playing basketball.

NBC Sports' Pierre Moossa: We all feel a tremendous responsibility to carry on the legacy of The NBA on NBC, while also helping a whole new generation of people truly appreciate the game.

Pierre, your first job in the business was on The NBA on NBC. What does it mean to you to be back?

Moossa: Yes, it's truly full circle for me. Straight out of college, I joined NBC and did graphics for the NBA Playoff right off the bat. I got to work with Tom Hammond, Snapper Jones, and Bill Walton. It was a dream come true for me to be doing the NBA, but to be a part of that team specifically was amazing because all we did was laugh - on and off the court. They made you love hoops, and that was my introduction to the business. The final year of The NBA on NBC, I got to work with Marv Albert, and we did the NBA Finals where the Lakers swept the Nets in four games. It was the end of an era and was truly heartbreaking for all of us. When I found the NBA was coming back to NBC, it was beyond exciting and brought back a lot of great memories for me personally.

What kind of production enhancements will we see on NBC's coverage compared with other broadcasters?

DiGraci: First, everything's going to be 1080p HDR, so we start there. And the number of high-frame-rate cameras is definitely going to be an increase; it's going to be a lot more than I think you've seen on NBA in the past. There are also technology enhancements in the studio, and we're still working on some interesting things around audio. But the foundation for me is more super-slo-mos.

Moossa: You're going to see [specialty cameras] like Steadicams, SkyCams, and drones on [selected games], especially later in the season and in the playoffs. But I [agree with Frank] that what's going to distinguish every broadcast is the number of super-slo-mo cameras. All our cameras will be super-slo-mo except for the game camera and the Steadicam. Between that and [the broadcast] being in 1080p HDR, [we can] capture a level of detail - especially on those close out-of-bounds plays - that I don't think has been seen before on NBA coverage. It may not be as exciting as a new toy, but, with those two [production elements], our coverage is going to look, sound, and feel different.

How will you look to seamlessly integrate the new On the Bench feature into your coverage?

Moossa: On the Bench is going to offer a whole new level of insight for the fan. [Viewers] are going to see our analyst sitting right on the bench next to the team, both sides. Our job is to document that unique and privileged position and, ultimately, provide our analyst with the opportunity to share that perspective with fans. It's up to our cameras and our replay devices to capture the insight of what they're showing so we can help the viewer appreciate that.

Aside from On the Bench, how are you looking to cover the action off the court and bring the in-arena atmosphere to the broadcast?

Moossa: When [Flood] was preparing for this season, he went to a Celtics game and sat in the cheap seats just to take in the atmosphere. His biggest takeaway was that much cool stuff is happening in the arena that you don't see in the broadcast. He challenged us to make sure we capture the excitement and energy of the arena. That means l

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/10/21/nba-on-nbc-peacock-at-the-front...
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