Peacock NBA announcers want to counter ‘toxic’ view of coaching with ‘On the Bench’ broadcasts

The NBA’s new broadcast partners promised to experiment and innovate when they got the chance to air games for the first time, and Peacock’s “On the Bench” broadcasts starring Noah Eagle, Austin Rivers and Robbie Hummel may be the best example of how NBC is living up to that pledge.

Rather than sitting alongside the play-by-play announcer Eagle, the broadcast sees Rivers and Hummel, both former high-level players and experienced analysts, embedded within each team’s bench throughout a game. NBC Sports executives believe this will not only help Peacock’s NBA coverage stand out, but also inform and educate viewers in a new way.

The crew involved with pulling off these broadcasts each Monday have a different challenge on their hands. The analysts must glean observations from a team’s sideline without distracting coaches and players from the task at hand, while Eagle and the producers turn these nuggets from Rivers and Hummel into practical information for the audience.

The Peacock team shared its approach with Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung in a recent sit-down. The crew is seemingly working hard to establish relationships with coaches so as to not abuse the access the league is allowing.

“So much of the culture of the NBA has always blamed the coach,” Rivers told Boardroom. “They always get fired quickly. The microscope on the modern-day coach is borderline toxic. And we’re coming from a standpoint of exploring how great and hard their jobs are and the decisions they and their staffs make.”

Likewise, top producer Frank DiGraci, hired over the summer away from his longtime perch at YES Network in New York, understands the delicate dance of identifying insights to make the “On the Bench” broadcasts worth everyone’s time while not overstepping boundaries that teams and coaches set up.

“Trust is hard to gain and easily lost,” DiGraci added to Boardroom. “And I look forward to other teams and coaches getting to see these first two games and understanding that we’re not out to get anybody. We’re only out to get in-depth and behind the scenes a little bit more, and a unique access for our viewers.”

While other top broadcasters like Richard Jefferson cast doubt on the potential for “On the Bench” to work, NBC is pleased with its progress early in the season and appears committed to seeing the experiment through.