Photo courtesy of NBC Sports

The year was 2002. The Lakers defeated the still-New Jersey Nets for a third consecutive NBA Finals win, Spurs’ big man Tim Duncan was crowned that season’s MVP, Pau Gasol was the Rookie of the Year and Rick Carlisle won Coach of the Year in his first stint with the Pistons. It was also the last time NBC broadcast the NBA on its airwaves, but after a 23-year sabbatical, “Roundball Rock” rang again on TVs and devices Tuesday night. And boy, things are quite different as NBCUniversal rejoins the NBA’s distribution party.

Photo courtesy of NBC Sports

While NBC’s return means more broadcast distribution for the NBA, there’s a new tool for both to utilize: Peacock. The SVOD will stream a doubleheader on Monday nights, while NBC will carry two games on Tuesdays and add Sundays to the list once Sunday Night Football wraps up. Plus, NBC is getting the NBA All-Star slate and a myriad of postseason contests.

However, despite the wider distribution on a national scale, there’s confusion—and frustration—among fans learning the new subscriptions needed to catch the NBA action. That’s why NBCU’s marketing hit the ground running this year to promote its new debut as an NBA rights partner. One of the elements the company leaned in on is nostalgia, with NBCU bringing back its Roundball Rock tune and using an AI-generated voice of former narrator Jim Fagan in certain elements of its coverage.

In the buildup to Tuesday’s tipoff, NBCU took the “roundballs” to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC for a live activation. The six-day “30 Rocks” event displayed 30 custom basketballs alongside a custom LED basketball half-court. NBCU and NBC Sports partnered with 30 local artists representing each of the 30 teams to design each individual installation, drawing on themes “that embody the identity of their team’s city and culture.” Fans were able to participate in meet and greets, 3-point competitions, youth clinics and photo opportunities with NBCU talent, such as Michael Bublé, Maria Taylor, Ron Harper and Joakim Noah.

“The cadence of promotion and the ability to tell the story of this league is going to be front and center for everything we do across all the platforms of NBC,” said NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood on a call with media last week.

Now that 30 Rocks is closed, each team’s piece will return to their respective cities as a way for NBCU to drive fan engagement and promotion. We’ll stay tuned to see how NBC’s ratings shake out as the 2025-26 NBA season gets underway. – Noah Ziegler

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