The start of the NBA season has been overshadowed by the stunning FBI gambling probe involving Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones. But it’s been a huge week for the league as it begins new media deals featuring NBC, Amazon, and ESPN.
ESPN has maintained NBA Finals coverage while NBC is back for the first time in over 20 years. NBC had opening night coverage for a doubleheader and was almost universally praised for their coverage. The grand return of the NBA on NBC featured the perfect mix of nostalgia and bringing proper focus to today’s game.
ESPN featured the debut of Inside the NBA for both Wednesday and Thursday night coverage as well as Tim Legler joining the lead broadcast booth alongside Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson. The involvement of the Inside the NBA crew will greatly lift ESPN’s coverage… at least on the nights that they work.
On Friday, it was finally Amazon’s turn to debut as a brand new partner for the league. While fans were greatly anticipating the return of the NBA on NBC, Amazon’s coverage was a bit of a mystery. It featured a ton of new personalities in the studio like Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin. And from what we’ve seen with its NFL and NASCAR coverage, it promised to be a bit more modernized and tech focused.
As they covered their first doubleheader, Amazon certainly delivered, especially in their high-tech studio that featured a stunning LED court.
It looks like the ‘NBA on Prime’ analysts are in a video game as they do a demonstration on an LED court. 🏀📺🎙️🎮 #NBA pic.twitter.com/rdZIkuKlDX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 24, 2025
But it wasn’t just the technology itself that shined. It was the ability to let the analysts cook. It looks like Amazon has a great cast assembled with Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Griffin, and Udonis Haslem. We’ve seen Haslem before on ESPN, but here he was able to break down the game in ways we just haven’t seen. Dirk and Griffin are full of personality. And we know Nash knows his Xs and Os working on Mind the Game with LeBron James and his time as an MVP-caliber player and coach.
On the game broadcast side, fans noticed the crystal clear picture. And the accomplished talent calling the games like Ian Eagle, Stan Van Gundy, Kevin Harlan, Dwyane Wade, and Candace Parker certainly made it feel like major league NBA coverage.
Knicks/Celtics and Lakers/Wolves looked 4K on Prime. Pelicans/Spurs looked 480p on local TV.
National networks are a big W so far. But the next thing @NBA needs to force to improve is the quality of regional broadcasts. Every game should look amazing.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) October 25, 2025
Amazon crew UD, BG, Dirk, Nash breaking down the Knicks
The NBA needs this type of coverage 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9nZxumoZ6h
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) October 24, 2025
NBC and Amazon immediately becoming the 1 and 2 seed for best NBA presentation and we’re not even a week into the season. https://t.co/E1ZLlhSW50
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 25, 2025
This Amazon Prime NBA panel has the potential to be really really good. For a first broadcast this is flowing really nicely, well thought out group and host. Set looks incredible too
— Daman Rangoola (@damanr) October 24, 2025
It’s clear that the NBA’s new broadcast partners NBC and Amazon Prime are leaning into basketball and less of the other stuff. It’s early, but so far so good
— Jarod Hector (@jshector) October 24, 2025
The NBA on NBC and Amazon Prime NBA coverage has been fantastic. The league is flawed, no doubt, but they don’t focus on the flaws and drama. ESPN has done so much damage to the league. Windhorst said himself he thinks NBA fans only want drama, not actual game analysis
— Under the Buss (@TheUndertheBuss) October 25, 2025
Is it just me or is Amazon’s camera quality like S tier
— Old NBA Tweets (@oldnbatweetz) October 25, 2025
It’s both exciting and refreshing to see NBA on Prime take an Xs and Os approach to educate viewers and offer exclusive insights. It helps deepen their understanding of the game instead of just adding to the avalanche of hot takes and endless debates. pic.twitter.com/d00jNPMuc8
— Ralph Ganthier (@ralphganthier) October 25, 2025
If we’ve learned anything from the first week of NBA action, NBC and Amazon have greatly lifted coverage of the league. It was sorely needed after ESPN and TNT’s coverage were criticized for too much negativity and focus on off-court drama. NBC and Amazon have chosen to go all-in with analysis and coverage instead of debating who the next face of the league might be. It’s an amazing, refreshing change. And as the lone remaining incumbent, ESPN is under pressure to raise their game and reach this new level.
About Matt Yoder