Australia’s top-tier National Basketball League has renewed its domestic broadcast partnerships with Disney-owned ESPN and commercial broadcaster Network 1, as the league looks to boost its viewership.
Under the three-year renewal, international sports broadcaster ESPN will air every match of the upcoming 2025-26 season live, as well as games from the new in-season tournament, the Ignite Cup, each Wednesday night, as well as the pre-season tournament, ‘The Blitz’.
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ESPN will air 166 live NBL games during the season, along with weekly news and studio coverage.
ESPN is available in Australia through pay-TV operator Foxtel, its streaming service Kayo, and subscription service Fetch TV, as well as pay-TV heavyweight Sky in New Zealand, via carriage.
NBL Secures Expanded ESPN Deal as League Continues Rapid Growth
The National Basketball League (NBL) has announced an extended media rights deal with ESPN, building on a period of significant audience growth and momentum for the Australian league. The new agreement will see continued coverage of NBL games on ESPN, further solidifying its presence in the Australian sports broadcasting landscape.
According to the NBL, audiences have increased by 106% over the past three seasons, and the league is confident this partnership with ESPN will sustain that trajectory, maintaining its position as the fastest-growing professional sporting league in the country. https://www.sportcal.com/news/nbl-extends-espn-deal-as-audience-growth-continues
Along with the ESPN extension,the NBL has also renewed its agreement with Network 10 for the 2025-26 season. Network 10 will broadcast two games each Sunday at 2:30 PM (AEDT) on Channel 10 and 4:30 PM on 10 Drama.
The 2023-24 season saw record attendance, with 55 sell-out games and over one million fans attending matches. https://www.nbl.com.au/news/nbl-and-espn-extend-partnership-through-to-2026
The NBL 2025-26 season is scheduled to tip off on September 18th.
This news follows Foxtel’s recent renewal of its carriage deal with ESPN, ensuring continued access to ESPN’s extensive sports portfolio, including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, UFC, and NHL. https://www.sportcal.com/news/foxtel-renews-carriage-deal-with-espn
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