NBC Is Pushing To Reacquire The Rights To NBA Games And Everyone Had The Same Reaction

NBC

It’s been more than two decades since ABC inked a deal with the NBA to acquire the rights to broadcast the league’s games on the network (as well as ESPN and its subsidiaries).

That agreement (which is currently set to run through 2025) ended the NBA on NBC Era that had stretched back to 1990—although it looks like there’s a chance the league could make its grand return to that platform within the next couple of years.

According to CNBC, NBC is currently gearing up to get in on the bidding war that could also see Amazon and Apple angle to land the rights to air NBA games when the current contract expires; in a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is planning to be “more selective” when it comes to the sports that fall under its umbrella.

NBC won’t officially be able to enter the negotiating fray until 2024, and while most NBA fans probably aren’t super invested in the specific networks that cover games, this development has generated a fair amount of buzz thanks to two words anyone who watched basketball in the 1990s is likely intimately familiar with: “Roundball Rock.”

That was the name given to the iconic theme song that was whipped up by John Tesh, who once recalled the time he dreamed up the incredibly catchy tune while sitting in a hotel room in Europe before calling his home to leave a voicemail so he wouldn’t forget the melody.

It’s safe to assume “Roundball Rock” (which also inspired a perfectly stupid Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Jason Sudeikis and Tim Robinson) would make its grand return if NBC is able to secure the rights, and plenty of fans are already clamoring for the ultimate blast from the past.

Here’s to hoping our dreams will become a reality.