“It’s exciting to be part of”: Cotton on league growth, new broadcast deal

Adelaide 36ers star Bryce Cotton has welcomed the NBL’s new free-to-air broadcast deal with the Nine Network, saying it was exciting to be part of the competition’s growth.

The Hungry Jack’s NBL and Nine will join forces to become the home of free hoops from 2026, in a transformative partnership that brings the pre-eminent Australian men’s professional basketball league onto the current No.1 ranked network in the nation. 

The two-year agreement will see two free-to-air NBL games available every week across the 9Network, including Finals games, in a win for Aussie basketball fans.

A selection of marquee games will be broadcast on Channel 9, delivering premium live basketball to the widest possible audience.

After a decade in the league, Cotton is well placed to assess its growth.

The six-time NBL MVP was in Melbourne on Wednesday to launch the new broadcast deal and said the competition continued to attract talent, supporters and viewers.

“The one thing I've noticed in my time with the NBL is it's continued to grow year in, year out,” Cotton said on Nine’s The Today Show.

“Now that it has the respect on a global scale, at least in the basketball community. I think that's why we get the players that we get, and that's why it's so exciting.

“Even in the (United) States, you know, there's so many eyes that keep tabs on (the competition) and during the playoffs.

“It's very exciting to be a part of the entire growth.”

Every game will continue to be broadcast on ESPN in addition to the new Nine agreement.

The partnership with Nine builds on the NBL’s record-breaking growth across attendance, digital engagement and free-to-air audiences, further strengthening its position as Australia’s fastest growing sporting league. 

Broadcast performance of the NBL continued to accelerate across both streaming and free-to-air platforms.

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 previous free-to-air broadcast partner Network 10’s Primary Channel increased by 18 per-cent compared with last season.

Audience numbers for 36ers games exceeded the league’s average, growing by 82 per-cent on ESPN and 145 per-cent on Network 10, with 16 Sixers games aired free-to-air, increasing accessibility for fans nationwide.

10 previously broadcast two games on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

Nine’s NBL coverage will sit alongside the WNBL, where top level Australian basketball joins the 9Network’s runway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the Boomers and Opals will take on the world once again.