Beginning in 2025, NBC plans on streaming approximately 50 NBA games per season exclusively on Peacock. NBC will broadcast games on its network on Tuesdays and Sundays when there isn’t a conflict with NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
NBC is close to finalizing a $2.5 billion per year deal with the NBA that has been viewed with contrasting opinions within the company. Some believe NBC is overpaying to air the NBA, while others expect it to help with its fledgling Peacock streaming service. Peacock lost $639 million in the most recent quarter.
NBC is expected to raise prices for Peacock when it begins broadcasting the NBA. Both Peacock and NBC will likely reduce its budget for original content since the NBA will fill programming multiple days per week.
NBC most recently was a broadcast partner of the NBA from 1990 until 2002 when it was also the exclusive home of the Finals. NBC pushed to share the Finals with ESPN/ABC during negotiations, but were unable to secure that portion of rights.
Joe Flint, Amol Sharma, Isabella Simonetti/Wall Street Journal