NBC Sports Taps Mike Tirico to Lead NBA Coverage

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This upcoming season, sports commentator Mike Tirico will make his comeback to NBA game commentary after an absence of about ten years.

This season marks Mike Tirico’s debut as the primary NBA play-by-play commentator for NBC. For the first time since 2002, NBC and their streaming service Peacock will hold the rights to NBA games, following a fresh agreement with the league.

Tirico, who began working with NBC in 2016, is also the head of their NFL, Olympics, and golf broadcasts. Prior to this, he was at ESPN, where he handled NBA play-by-play duties. Come the end of the football season, NBC will be airing several games each week, requiring multiple broadcast crews.

After the conclusion of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Tirico is set to work a number of games each week. However, he will also be calling some games prior to this, such as select matches and notably, the opening game of the NBA season, which signifies the sport’s return to NBC.

NBC Sports is expanding its team of NBA experts. Jamal Crawford will work alongside Tirico in the commentary box as the main analyst, while more studio hosts, analysts, and journalists are set to join the lineup soon.

Tirico expressed immense excitement about resuming his role as an NBA commentator. Reflecting on his 15-year career chronicling the world’s top basketball players, he considers this experience among the most rewarding of his profession. His passion for the league was ignited during the memorable NBA days on NBC in the ’90s. Being a part of reviving that iconic partnership fills us with great anticipation.

We’re thrilled that Mike Tirico will be back at his courtside position as the NBA makes its comeback on NBC and premieres on Peacock,” noted Sam Flood, producer of NBC Sports. “With his work ranging from the Olympics to Sunday Night Football, major golf tournaments, and now the NBA, Mike is undeniably the most adaptable voice in sports.

Last year, the NBA finalized 11-year partnerships with NBC, Disney/ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video, excluding Warner Bros. Discovery from these agreements. This arrangement is a costly one for NBCU, who are estimated to pay approximately $2.5 billion annually for the broadcasting rights alone. Additional expenses for producing the games and studio shows could add hundreds of millions of dollars more to their annual expenditures each year.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got a unique perspective – with the NBA, we’ve got year-round action on our screens, just like the NFL and golf tournaments. And let’s not forget about those thrilling Olympic games! It’s a sports calendar that never stops, keeping us entertained all year round.

Cavanagh stated last July that we have a distinct ability to generate significant value with the NBA in various methods. Firstly, by boosting ad sales, by offering NBA ad space alongside our top-tier programming. Secondly, by attracting and profiting from subscribers, on both traditional TV and Peacock, and thirdly, by efficiently managing NBCUniversal’s investment in sports, entertainment, and news programming.

The agreements in the NBA will significantly impact television as well. Notably, NBC might see a substantial shift, as hundreds of hours of entertainment previously broadcast on NBC and ABC could be replaced by NBA content. This transformation may alter the financial landscape of Hollywood, although NBC executives are optimistic that these rights could offer an opportunity to experiment with fresh programming that caters to a younger NBA audience.

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2025-01-22 18:24