New TV Deals, Playoff Implications and Local Media: Why NBA and NHL Ratings Gains Came at the Perfect Time

The NBA and NHL have delivered significant viewership gains at key moments in their media rights cycles, with both leagues benefiting from new broadcast arrangements that have arrived at an optimal time for audience growth.

The NBA’s new 11-year media rights deals with ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video, which took effect for the 2025-26 season, have fundamentally altered how playoff games are distributed. For the first time, regional sports networks and local stations are no longer permitted to simulcast first-round playoff games alongside national broadcasts. This change ensures that all domestic viewership of early playoff games flows exclusively to the league’s national partners, maximizing the value of the $77 billion in aggregate rights fees.

According to Nielsen data reviewed by Sports Business Journal, local telecasts accounted for 32% of in-market viewership for first-round NBA playoff games during the final season under the previous arrangement. When excluding the handful of games exclusive to ABC, that local share rose to 42%. In certain major markets, such as Boston, local RSNs like NBC Sports Boston and NESN frequently drew more than half of the in-market audience for Celtics or Bruins playoff games, often surpassing the national telecast within those regions.

The elimination of local simulcasts removes a long-standing practice that had diluted the audience for national broadcasts. Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly Sports, which sells local advertising for most NBA and NHL teams, explained that the leagues recognized that extracting full value from national packages requires removing local competition for viewership. “The leagues understand if they’re going to try to extract the total value that they want out of a national package, the [local] simulcast hurts,” Sloan stated.

For the NHL, the impact of local broadcasts has historically been even more pronounced. Certain regional sports networks in major markets have regularly drawn larger audiences than national telecasts for playoff games within their local areas. The shift in the NBA mirrors a broader trend where leagues are consolidating playoff distribution to strengthen national partner offerings amid rising rights fees.

The 2025-26 season marks the first year of the NBA’s agreements with ABC, NBC, ESPN, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. Under these contracts, ESPN airs Wednesday night doubleheaders, Amazon Prime Video streams Friday night games, and NBC features Tuesday night doubleheaders branded as “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday.” Peacock streams at least one exclusive game per week under “Peacock NBA Monday,” while ABC showcases single games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons during the second half of the season. Prime Video also handles Thursday night streams, and NBC airs Sunday night games as “Sunday Night Basketball.”

These changes represent a profound adjustment in how fans access games, particularly as the NBA moves toward a model where all nationally televised contests are available via streaming options. The league has also acknowledged ongoing complexities in the local broadcast ecosystem, with commissioner Adam Silver noting that the long-term situation for regional sports networks remains under review. “We do need to figure out something there,” Silver said regarding the future of local market broadcasts.

Despite uncertainties surrounding local rights, the immediate effect of the new NBA structure has been to concentrate playoff viewership on national platforms. By removing local competition for first-round games, the league has enhanced the appeal of its prime-time packages to advertisers and subscribers alike. The timing aligns with a period of heightened interest in both the NBA and NHL, where playoff performances have coincided with the launch of these revised distribution models.