After a two-decade hiatus, NBC is bringing back the NBA by mirroring its highly successful “Sunday Night Football” formula, complete with a new pregame show called “Basketball Night in America” and a show open starring Lenny Kravitz.
SNF's new playbook: NBC is completing the football-ification by hiring Kravitz for a musical open, mirroring Carrie Underwood's role for SNF. The move marks a pivot from the network's first NBA run, which famously relied on the instrumental "Roundball Rock" theme instead of a pop-star feature. The new sequence will get its first run on February 1, 2026, ahead of a doubleheader that starts with the Lakers visiting the Knicks.
What's old is new: The network is borrowing from its current successes, but it's also pulling from its past. The nostalgia play extends to its Monday and Tuesday pregame coverage, where the network is reviving its old "NBA Showtime" brand. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle will handle play-by-play, joined by analysts and former NBA stars Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford.
The early returns: The blend of nostalgia and proven strategy is already paying off. NBCUniversal reported it has nearly sold out its ad inventory for the season, with almost 170 partners on board. The company highlighted the partnership’s power to attract fresh ad dollars, noting that 10% of its advertisers are new to the NBA and 20% are new to NBCU.
By wrapping its NBA return in the familiar, premium packaging of its most successful sports property, NBC is making a calculated bet that it can recreate primetime dominance on the court, just as it has on the gridiron.
Also on our radar: The network is stacking its deck with more than just a new look, reportedly bringing back Michael Jordan as a special contributor and planning broadcast innovations like an "on the bench" reporter for each team. And in a nod to the modern media landscape, DraftKings has been named the official betting partner for the broadcasts.
