The 2025-2026 NBA season has reached its first week mark. During the first week of professional basketball returning to TV, fans have witnessed superstars such as Steph Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put 50+ point performances. Even under the radar, second or third-option players have been lighting up the scoreboard, like Aaron Gordon scoring 50 and Austin Reaves with 51 points. This scoring explosion in the league is supplemented by the NBA’s return to airing on NBC and its expansion to showing games on Amazon Prime Video.
This 2025-2026 season marks the first time since 1988 that basketball will not be shown on TNT. The league’s broadcasting deal expired in 2024, and they decided not to renew with Warner Bros. Discovery. The 11-year deal with media giants Disney, Amazon, and NBC has shaped the viewing experience for basketball fanatics.
For fans of ’90s basketball, the return of NBC brings back nostalgic memories of watching legends Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing on their TV sets. The new generation of fans hasn’t experienced an NBC-produced broadcast since 2001, a 24-season absence. NBC, recognizing the importance of streaming in today’s age, plans to broadcast its games on its streaming service, Peacock, as well. The hybrid setup of traditional cable and streaming options is one factor that led the league to agree to give broadcasting rights to NBC.
In recent years, Amazon has entered the sports media world with its streaming service, Prime Video. The idea of having nationally broadcast games available only through streaming sounded insane at first. Alienating the share of fans who only watch on traditional formats didn’t make sense. That is, until Amazon saw how its Thursday Night Football broadcasts succeeded with the NFL.
The NBA and Amazon hope to recreate the magic with NBA On Prime Video, airing three national games on Thursday through Saturday nights. Former players like Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki will host the in-house studio show. The pre-game show and post-game breakdown, hosted by knowledgeable analysts and minds, will amplify the fans’ intake of NBA basketball.
This season in the NBA has the potential to be one to remember, and the viewing experience, being enhanced by brilliant broadcasting teams at Amazon and NBC, is helping immensely. The National Basketball Association has new homes this year, and they’re banking on them to reach new heights and new fans.
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