Hoops returns to Channel 10, in HD for NBL25

The Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) will be accessible to more sports fans after the League extended its partnership with ESPN, secured a new free-to-air broadcast deal with Network 10, with games to be played on its main channel, in High Definition (HD) and renewed its deal with News Corp Australia (NCA) to deliver deeper basketball coverage throughout the 2024/25 season.

ESPN is widely regarded as the home of the NBL and basketball and remains the only place to watch every game including finals, live. ESPN will also continue to provide strong coverage for fans with weekly news and shows, including on digital channels.

ESPN’s NBL programming will also be available via Foxtel, Kayo Sports and Fetch TV.

The marquee 2:30pm Sunday afternoon game will also be shown on Network 10’s main channel, and marks the first time the NBL has been on a main channel in a decade.

“This broadcast and media deal with ESPN, Network 10, and News Corp Australia is a major endorsement of the League’s rapid growth and growing stature on the sporting landscape,” NBL CEO, David Stevenson, said.

“ESPN has been a fabulous partner of the NBL for the past three years, and we are thrilled to continue our close relationship. ESPN is undoubtedly the largest and best-known sports media network globally, and has played an integral role in growing the NBL and basketball in Australia.”

The League’s broadcast audience has increased by 26 per cent this season, off the back of a similar rise last season. The NBL has come off a landmark year for attendances with 40 sell-outs across the campaign, more than a million attendees at games for the first time in League history, and crowds increased by 11 per cent.

Stevenson expects that audience number to keep growing off the back of this new deal.

“We are thrilled to partner with organisations that share a strong passion for the NBL and basketball, and we have that with ESPN, Network 10 and News Corp Australia,” Stevenson said. 
 
“Combined with ESPN’s extensive coverage, returning the NBL to a main free-to-air channel in HD on 10 is a huge step forward and means we will be seen by even more sports fans around the country.
 
“We want to thank Network 10 for having the confidence in the NBL and helping solidify our standing as a major player on the sporting landscape.

“News Corp Australia’s platform is the biggest news organisation in the country and provides the NBL with incredible coverage and we look forward to more stories being shared about the League, our clubs and players.

“This new deal wouldn’t be possible without ESPN’s Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Network 10’s Beverley McGarvey and News Corp Australia’s Michael Miller and their respective teams, so we thank them for their ongoing support.” 

NBL Chief Strategic Partnerships and Investment Officer, Brad Joyner, said maintaining momentum was important when constructing a new deal between the parties.

“We have had great growth and success over the last three years, and being able to continue that relationship will be vital in maintaining our growth trajectories and hitting our targets,” Joyner said.

“ESPN is excited to continue to serve NBL fans as Australia’s Home for Hoops,” Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, who has responsibility for ESPN locally and across Asia Pacific, said. 
 
“The NBL is growing and attracting new audiences, with the league providing amazing sporting entertainment, including the record-setting recent season and thrilling NBL Championship. ESPN is proud to continue to support fans to be part of the action and we’re excited the league is making such great strides with its long-term vision for professional basketball in Australia.”

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Adam Cush, Sport Production Director, Paramount Australia and New Zealand said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the National Basketball League which ensures that all the action, excitement and fierce competition of the League will be broadcast on Network 10.
 
“Ensuring broad reach on free-to-air, we are committed to showcasing the sport in innovative ways and exposing it to a plethora of programming opportunities across all our platforms.”

“We are thrilled to continue to provide the best coverage of basketball in the country on our platforms to our 13 million* sports fans. We are also pleased to be able to continue to operate the official fantasy game of the NBL, SuperCoach NBL, which had a very strong start in its inaugural season,” Michael Wilkins, Managing Director, News Sport Network, said.
 
Under the League’s new broadcast deal, all games will be available on ESPN, available on Foxtel, Kayo Sports and Fetch TV.

*Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia Jan 2023-Dec 2023