NBL extends broadcast deals with ESPN and 10
The National Basketball League has extended its broadcasting deals with ESPN and Network 10, with the league set to net the biggest Australian audience of its history.
ESPN will now broadcast every match of the upcoming NBL26 season live via the ESPN tile on Disney+, as well as through the linear ESPN stations available through Foxtel, Kayo Sports, and Fetch TV – and through Sky in New Zealand.
In addition, ESPN will air live games from the new in-season tournament, the Ignite Cup, each Wednesday night, as well as the pre-season tournament ‘The Blitz’. In total, ESPN will air 166 live NBL games, including the finals, during the season. It will also continue its weekly news, and studio coverage.
The NBL calls the deal “a significant multi-year extension” of its rights deal, noting in a media release that, with Disney+ reaching millions of Australian homes, “the NBL will be exposed to a broader mainstream audience than ever before.” The NBL has confirmed to Mumbrella the deal with ESPN will span three years.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman and ESPN Australia boss Kylie Watson-Wheeler. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for NBL)
“We are thrilled to extend our distribution agreement with ESPN, and will continue to work closely together to ensure even more people can connect and access live NBL games,” NBL Group CEO, David Stevenson said.
“This new agreement reflects the NBL’s remarkable evolution and increasing popularity, and marks another big step forward in the growth of our league. Our broadcast audiences have grown by 106% over the past three seasons, and we are confident this new deal will ensure that trend continues as we continue to be the fastest growing professional sporting league in the country.”
Head of ESPN Asia-Pacific, Kylie Watson-Wheeler, said the network is “thrilled” to remain the leagues principal broadcast partner.
“We are a longstanding supporter of the NBL, Larry [Kestleman, league owner] and the executive team, and believe the league will continue its strong upward trajectory.”
She notes that “ESPN on Disney+ has provided a material boost to the NBL audience, adding millions.”
The league has also extended its deal with Network 10 for an additional year, which will see two games air live each Sunday: at 2:30pm (AEDT) on Channel 10, and 4:30pm on 10 Drama.
Adam Cush, sports production director, at Ten parent company Paramount Australia said: “We are pleased to announce the renewal of our partnership with the National Basketball League (NBL) for a fifth consecutive year, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to delivering premier sporting content to Australians, live and free.
“This strategic alliance not only underscores the enduring appeal and dynamism of the NBL but also guarantees that fans nationwide will have access to two live games each week, regardless of their location.”
The NBL26 season starts on September 18.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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