Amanda Knapp
Basketball fans were left disappointed on the evening of Thursday, November 5, 2021, when TNT aired an episode of Bones instead of the usual NBA games. This was due to the NBA trying to avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football, which was showing a game between the Colts and the Jets. The NBA had been losing 20% of its viewers to the NFL, and it seemed that most of them were sports-agnostic gamblers who could bet on more NFL games.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5th November 2021 |
| Reason | To avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football |
| Viewership | NBA lost 20% of their viewers to the NFL game |
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What You'll Learn
- TNT's NBA coverage includes Inside the NBA studio show
- NBA games are aired on Tuesday and Thursday nights
- TNT airs NBA All-Star Games, Opening Night games and games on Martin Luther King Day
- TNT competes with NFL's Thursday Night Football for viewers
- ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video also have broadcasting rights
TNT's NBA coverage includes Inside the NBA studio show
The TNT cable network has been broadcasting NBA games since 1989, making it the network's longest-running regular program and sporting event. TNT's NBA coverage includes the "Inside the NBA" studio show, which has gained popularity in recent years for the chemistry and banter between its hosts. The show is hosted by Ernie Johnson, who is joined by Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.
The "Inside the NBA" show is a postgame show that features highlights and discussions from the biggest games, hottest hoops matchups, and the biggest superstars in the NBA. The show also includes pre-game and halftime presentations, with a focus on social media interaction, "culture", and "style". In the 2019-20 season, panelists included Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker, Shaquille O'Neal, and Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe.
"Inside the NBA" has been a key part of TNT's NBA coverage, with the network taking the show on the road during the 2010-11 season due to heightened media coverage surrounding the Miami Heat's acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The show has also adapted to significant events in the NBA, such as a special edition covering the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's death.
In 2024, it was announced that ESPN gained access to the "Inside the NBA" studio show beginning in 2025, as part of a settlement between WBD and the NBA. Despite this change, the show will continue to be produced by TNT Sports, with its existing personalities.
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NBA games are aired on Tuesday and Thursday nights
It can be disappointing when you settle in to watch your favourite basketball team play on TNT, only to find that there's no game airing. This is because, during the regular season, NBA games are aired on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
In 2021, for example, some viewers were confused as to why there were no games being shown on a Thursday night in November. This was due to the NBA trying to avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football, which tends to attract higher viewing figures. To avoid losing viewers to the NFL, the NBA decided to air games on Tuesdays during the first half of the season.
In the past, TNT has aired games on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Christmas Day games if Christmas fell on a Thursday. However, in 2017, a Christmas Day game was aired on a Monday, and in 2016, TNT announced plans to air a series of Monday-night doubleheaders during the second half of the season.
TNT also airs marquee games, including the NBA All-Star Game, Opening Night games, and games on Martin Luther King Day. During the playoffs, TNT splits its games with ESPN and broadcasts a full Conference Final.
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TNT airs NBA All-Star Games, Opening Night games and games on Martin Luther King Day
It seems there is no basketball on TNT tonight due to scheduling. TNT airs NBA games on Tuesday and Thursday nights during the regular season, with the occasional broadcast on Saturday and Monday nights. During the first half of the season, games are aired exclusively on Tuesday nights to avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football.
TNT airs many of the NBA's marquee games, including the NBA All-Star Games, Opening Night games, and games on Martin Luther King Day.
The NBA All-Star Game is one of the centrepiece events of the NBA calendar, and TNT has aired the game since 2008 when it was first moved to cable television. The All-Star Game features the league's best and most popular players, with the Eastern Conference facing off against the Western Conference. The game is an exhibition match, with players voted in by fans, current players, and media members. The All-Star Weekend also includes the Rising Stars Challenge, which showcases the top rookies and second-year players, and the Slam Dunk Contest, a showcase of the league's best dunkers.
TNT also airs Opening Night games, which are the first games of the NBA season. These games are often highly anticipated, as they mark the start of the season and feature the league's top teams and players. Opening Night games are usually scheduled on the Tuesday after the first Monday in October, with TNT airing doubleheaders throughout the regular season.
Additionally, TNT airs games on Martin Luther King Day, which is observed on the third Monday of January. Martin Luther King Day games are often part of TNT's "MLK Day Tripleheader," which includes three games back-to-back. These games are usually highly competitive and feature some of the league's best teams and players. The day is a celebration of basketball and an opportunity to honour the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
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TNT competes with NFL's Thursday Night Football for viewers
The NBA on TNT typically features the biggest superstars and hottest matchups, along with its Emmy award-winning studio show. However, on Thursdays, the NBA faces competition from the NFL for viewers.
Thursday Night Football, or TNF, is a highly popular broadcast, with TNF games in 2022 averaging 13 million viewers across all platforms. In 2014, the NFL negotiated with its broadcast partners, including Turner Sports, to sub-license a package of up to eight TNF games to another broadcaster. This was done to heighten the profile of TNF games, which had suffered from lower viewership and advertising revenue compared to other games.
The NBA has made the decision to avoid airing its Thursday night doubleheader on TNT to directly compete with the NFL's TNF broadcast. According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the NBA shifted its Thursday night programming to Tuesday nights for the 2021 season. This decision is not surprising given the rising ratings of TNF, but it may disappoint basketball fans who are eager to see matchups like the Indianapolis Colts versus the New York Jets.
While the NBA avoids direct competition with the NFL on Thursdays, it has previously partnered with the NFL on Sunday night broadcasts. From 1990 to 1997, TNT aired NFL games on Sunday nights, serving as one of the NFL's cable television partners alongside ESPN. TNT presented the first major network NFL broadcast to utilize a player statistics "crawl" at the bottom of the screen, a feature particularly useful for Fantasy Football fans before the widespread availability of the internet.
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ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video also have broadcasting rights
As of 2024, ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video have broadcasting rights to NBA games. The NBA signed an 11-year media rights deal with Disney (which owns ESPN and ABC), NBCUniversal (NBCU), and Amazon, which will telecast games beginning with the 2025-26 season and running through the 2035-36 season. This means that the 2024-25 season will be the last for TNT, which previously aired NBA games on Thursdays and Tuesdays.
Under the new deal, Disney will distribute a total of 80 NBA regular-season games per season, with more than 20 games on ABC and up to 60 games on ESPN. ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast all five NBA games on Christmas Day and provide exclusive coverage of the final day of the regular season. During the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement. Additionally, ABC/ESPN will continue to distribute a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.
NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock) will distribute up to 100 NBA regular-season games per season, with more than half of the games airing on NBC. NBC will air prime-time games on Sundays after the NFL season has ended, as well as games on Tuesdays throughout the regular season. A Monday night doubleheader will be exclusively streamed on Peacock. NBC and/or Peacock will have up to 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with at least half on NBC.
Amazon Prime Video will have the rights to telecast quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship games of the NBA Cup, as well as approximately 66 games during the regular season and playoffs. Amazon will occasionally air games in the afternoon on Saturdays. The NBA App will be a universal access point, seamlessly directing fans to every national game on Disney, NBCU, and Amazon platforms.
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Frequently asked questions
To avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football, regular-season games during the first half of the season air exclusively on Tuesday nights.
TNT airs many of the NBA's marquee games, including the NBA All-Star Game, Opening Night games, and games on Martin Luther King Day.
There are games on NBA TV, and you can also watch the Inside the NBA studio show.
