NBL inks a new free-to-air TV deal, eyes NBA star

The National Basketball League has a new free-to-air TV home, with Nine Entertainment Co securing the broadcast rights in a multi-year deal.

Nine, the owner of this masthead, replaces Network Ten as the free-to-air home of a league NBL chief David Stevenson says is “in the midst of a new golden era of basketball fandom across Australia and New Zealand”.

Under the new agreement, Nine will televise two marquee games live on a Saturday night, while the league’s finals series will also be live and free.

The new season begins in September.

Nine also has the free-to-air rights to the Women’s National Basketball League as part of the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the Boomers and Opals will again be in the medals hunt.

“This is a significant moment for the NBL and for basketball fans right across Australia. Following a record-breaking season across attendance, digital and free-to-air audiences, this partnership with Nine is about building on that momentum and making our game more accessible than ever before,” Stevenson said.

“Having two games live and free every week, alongside a fully free finals series, is a major win for fans and a powerful platform to continue growing the game.”

ESPN will retain the pay television and streaming rights to the NBL, with games shown on Disney+ and through Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ.

Nine’s move to secure the NBL comes a week after it confirmed a five-year deal with Netball Australia, securing all broadcast and streaming rights to Suncorp Super Netball, all Australian Diamonds matches and the Netball World Cup in Sydney in 2027.

Nine’s director of sport Brent Williams said the network was delighted to have the NBL in its stable.

“The NBL is without a doubt one of Australia’s most engaging and fastest growing sports competitions,” he said.

“The standard of the game has never been higher, passion from the fans has never been stronger, and an innovative broadcast approach from all stakeholders makes this a perfect addition to Nine’s suite of sport assets. We are thrilled to be entering this partnership and excited about the opportunities that will come from having NBL content on Nine’s platforms.”

Under league majority owner Larry Kestelman, the NBL has returned to its glory years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, in terms of public interest and the standard of play, with the league regarded as among the best in the world outside the NBA.

Joe Ingles, the veteran Australian Boomer and long-time NBA star, is another major name the NBL could attract for next season. Melbourne United have strong interest in Ingles. The five-time Olympian is currently playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round play-off series against the Denver Nuggets, but may finish his career in the NBL, league sources, who preferred to remain anonymous so they could speak freely, told this masthead.

The NBL this season broke its attendance record, reaching 1,231,796 – a nine per cent increase on last season.

Live game streaming across ESPN platforms grew by 21 per cent season-on-season, marking back-to-back years of 20 per cent growth, while average audiences on Ten’s primary channel increased by 18 per cent.

The five-game championship series between the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers set a new total attendance record, with 70,269 fans taking in the epic campaign won by the Kings.

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