BBC secures UK broadcast rights for live NBA games

The British public service broadcaster, BBC Sport has secured UK broadcasting rights to air the live NBA games, a professional basketball league in North America, for the rest of the 2023/24 season.

The agreement kicked off with the match between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, February 23.

Alongside its live broadcasts, BBC Sport’s app and website will offer frequent updates throughout the season, as NBA aims to grow its British viewership. The agreement also enables BBC to broadcast five regular season games at no cost, along with four playoff and final matches across its linear TV channels and BBC iPlayer.

Philip Bernie, Interim Director of BBC Sport, said, “Last year we brought live, free-to-air NBA games to our audience. This year we now have some of the biggest games of the season, showcasing the NBA’s brightest stars, and fans can also keep across the action on our website and app.”

Bastien Lacheny, Vice President of Global Media Distribution at NBA Europe and Middle East, added, “We are excited to bring NBA basketball back to the BBC. Fans in the UK will be able watch live action across BBC platforms as part of our commitment to making NBA games and programming available to our passionate fans on the devices and platforms they use most.”

This marks the second consecutive season in which BBC has secured live NBA broadcast rights, following a previous deal for five regular season games last year, which notably included a Paris fixture between Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

Currently, TNT Sports holds exclusive pay-TV rights to NBA in the UK and Ireland. Since its launch in July, the collaboration between BT Sport and Warner Bros Discovery has obtained rights to over 250 live NBA games for the 2023/24 season.

BBC Sport is the sports division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which provides comprehensive coverage of sporting events across various platforms including television, radio, and online. It is known for its extensive coverage of events such as the Olympics, European football, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, cricket in England and Wales, and the Premier League. Sports Mint Media