NBA Tip-Off: League Starts Season With Two New Broadcast Partners, In-House NBA TV/NBA App Ops

NBA Tip-Off: League Starts Season With Two New Broadcast Partners, In-House NBA TV/NBA App OpsA wealth of innovations mark both broadcast and streamingBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 - 1:34 pm

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This year has been one of tectonic transition for the NBA Broadcast Operations team. Most notably, the league has welcomed two new rightsholders in NBC Sports and Prime Video and has reimagined its NBA TV and NBA App products after taking over operations from TNT Sports.

Among the many enhancements, the NBA has launched a next-gen highlight-creation system, boosted internal operations and fan-facing aspects of its NBA Replay Center, furthered SMPTE 2110 workflows across its arenas, and expanded its slate of international games.

We are extremely excited for this season and incredibly proud of our team and partners for the outstanding work that has gone into getting us this far, says Dave Barry, SVP, head of broadcast engineering and operations, NBA. We continue to operate on the cutting edge of broadcast technology, and this year is especially exciting as we begin long-term relationships with our new broadcast partners.

Welcome to the Party: NBC, Prime Join ESPN as NBA RightsholdersThe NBA is back on NBC for the first time since 2002, Prime is a new addition to the NBA party, and ESPN is returning for its 24th straight season.

NBC will deploy a sextet of NEP mobile units for its various NBA productions this year.

NBC/Peacock, which opened the season with an unforgettable doubleheader on Tuesday, will broadcast 100 regular-season games plus NBA Playoffs and NBA All-Star Weekend. NBC has worked with the league to introduce a variety of enhancements: one On the Bench analyst for each team on selected games, Peacock Performance View and Courtside Live, and a flexible REMI/onsite production model to cover NBC's slate of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday games.

Meanwhile, Prime will broadcast 66 regular-season games (including Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds and the Championship Game), the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, and Playoffs. For its part, the streaming service is launching a new state-of-the-art studio in L.A., rolling out Game Creek Video's latest mobile units (Bird and Magic), and adding a variety of high-end cameras and other elements to its game coverage.

What makes this season truly unique is the opportunity to reimagine how we work with our broadcast partners, says Barney Carleton, associate VP/broadcast planning and strategy leader, NBA. There's a real energy around the start of the season. With everyone aligned and prepared, we're excited to carry that momentum forward and deliver an incredible viewing experience for fans.

Working with NBC and Prime Video alongside ESPN has allowed the league to streamline several production workflows from the ground up. One standout example is the collective commitment to capturing games in 1080p HDR, with an unprecedented number of high-frame-rate cameras.

Aligning these advanced production standards across a diverse ecosystem - including venues and local broadcasters operating with different technical specifications - has required increased collaboration and attention to detail, which the NBA is embracing as it aims to continue driving innovation, Carleton says.

Prime Video has a brand-new studio for its brand-new NBA package.

This will elevate the visual experience for fans in ways we've never seen before, he adds. At the heart of it all is a shared goal: to enhance storytelling. Each broadcaster is pushing for new and unique perspectives, with expanded access to players, coaches, and behind-the-scenes moments. Whether it's through immersive video, richer audio, or dynamic graphics, fans will feel closer to the game than ever before.

From early virtual planning sessions to in-person meetings at NBA Summer League, the league and its rightsholders' technical-operations and production teams worked closely to align on goals and execution. According to Carleton, the collaboration hasn't been limited to the league and its media partners but also includes NBA teams, venues, and key vendors shared across the ecosystem.

Preparation for this season has been a true collaborative effort across all our media partners: ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video, he notes. It all starts with communication, and we've been fortunate to have strong, consistent engagement with each group.

Carleton credits NBC and Prime Video with bringing in experienced individuals with deep NBA knowledge that helped accelerate integration and build trust. In addition, both media partners held their own production bootcamps during the offseason to ensure that their teams were equipped and ready to deliver from Opening Night.

The scale of this season - in terms of both volume and ambition - is significant, says Carleton. Together, we've set a high bar for technical excellence and storytelling innovation.

NBA TV and EverWonder Studio are producing a new weeknight studio show, The Association, with on-air talent (from left) James Koh, Rudy Gay, and John Wall.

In addition to the new relationships with NBC and Prime Video, the NBA is entering its 24th straight season on ESPN. ABC and ESPN will broadcast 80 regular-season games (including NBA on Christmas Day), plus the NBA Playoffs and Finals.

We're also excited to build on our long-standing partnership with ESPN as we look to further elevate broadcasts and engage viewers, says Carleton. We've been very focused on finding synergy with all three media partners, who have been eager to collaborate and share new ideas.

Going In-House: League Takes Over NBA TV Ops, Launches Streaming AppThe NBA has brought operations for NBA TV and the NBA App in-house following the end of i

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