After a 23-year hiatus, NBA broadcasts are returning to NBC, and with them, a blend of the familiar and the new. The network is resurrecting iconic elements through AI technology, including the voice of Jim Fagan and John Tesh’s "Roundball Rock" theme. This approach aims to balance nostalgia with modern production innovations for the network's Tuesday night NBA return.
The use of AI to recreate Fagan’s voice and the return of the laser peacock logo highlight NBC Sports’ strategy to reclaim its NBA presence. Simultaneously, the network is experimenting with the broadcast setup, moving analysts from traditional booths to courtside positions next to team benches.
“We’re obviously going to lean into the past, but we’re going to build forward and grow the game and grow with the game,” explained executive producer Sam Flood during a media conference call. This challenge involves catering to viewers who remember the original broadcasts while meeting current technical expectations. The shift in viewer expectations since 2002 has led NBC to reimagine fundamental broadcast elements.
Graphics team leaders Tripp Dixon and Chad Hudson have developed the broadcast package, incorporating nostalgic elements within contemporary frameworks. The AI-generated Fagan voiceovers will provide continuity between segments, recreating the announcer’s cadence and tone while delivering modern promotional content. According to Flood, “They’ll feel that familiar beat and that familiar look that made the ‘NBA on NBC’ so special.”
A major shift involves eliminating the traditional broadcast booth for Monday night Peacock exclusives. Analysts will be positioned at floor level alongside team benches. “They’ll be sitting as close as possible to the bench of their respective teams, and they will break down the game as if they’re calling it from that lens,” Flood explained. This approach evolved from NBC’s NHL coverage.
Production innovations coincide with distribution challenges across NBC’s broadcast network and Peacock streaming service. Monday games will stream exclusively on Peacock, featuring the bench-side coverage. Tuesday doubleheaders add complexity through regional broadcasting. Mike Tirico acknowledged the scheduling intricacies of balancing NBA coverage with NFL broadcasts and Winter Olympics preparation.
“Our job is to improve every night,” Flood said, comparing the production philosophy to athletic training. Tuesday’s season opener, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship banner ceremony against the Houston Rockets, marks the first NBA game on NBC since 2002 and Peacock’s first NBA broadcast.
For NBC Sports, the challenge extends beyond nostalgia or innovation. The network aims to satisfy longtime viewers and attract younger audiences accustomed to streaming platforms. "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 at NBC," Flood added.