The NBA has announced the schedule for the final season of its current rights deal. Plus: Univision has reached a deal with MLB to carry Spanish-language coverage of some postseason games; CBS is giving Serie A unprecedented broadcast network exposure.
NBA announces final schedule of current rights deal
The NBA released its 2024-25 regular season schedule on Wednesday, the final season under the league’s expiring media rights deal. ABC is set to air 20 games — which starting next season will be the minimum number of games it can carry — including three of the five Christmas Day games (Timberwolves-Mavericks, Sixers-Celtics and Lakers-Warriors) and its usual slate of Saturday and Sunday windows. For the first time in several years, ABC will air a game on the day of the Academy Awards, carrying a Nuggets-Celtics matinee on March 2.
In what will almost certainly be its final year airing NBA games, TNT will open the season with Knicks-Celtics and Timberwolves-Lakers on Opening Night October 22. Due to the College Football Playoff National Championship, the network’s Martin Luther King Day slate will again consist of an afternoon doubleheader as the Timberwolves face the Grizzlies at 2:30 and the Warriors host the Celtics at 5.
Overall, ESPN/ABC has 98 games this season and TNT will carry its usual 65-game slate.
MLB Postseason games, whiparound show, to air on Univision nets
The Univision family of networks will carry Spanish-language coverage of some MLB Postseason games — including Game 1 of the World Series — as part of a multi-year deal with Major League Baseball, it was announced Thursday.
The games will consist primarily of those airing in English on TBS, whose parent company Warner Bros. Discovery does not have a Spanish-language channel. In the past two seasons, TBS games aired in Spanish on MLB Network.
The World Series game is an exception, as FOX always carries those matchups in Spanish on Fox Deportes. Most games will air on UniMas and TUDN, with the World Series game on the Univision flagship.
In addition to the postseason games, UniMas will carry a weekly whiparound show on Tuesday nights for the remainder of the regular season.
CBS to air Serie A on its broadcast net for first time
CBS announced Thursday that it will carry the August 24 Parma-AC Milan Serie A soccer match on its broadcast network, marking the first Serie A match ever on its broadcast network. Serie A has previously aired on ABC. [Correction 8/16: This post originally said the match would be the first Serie A telecast ever on broadcast TV.]
Other international leagues have aired on over-the-air television, including the Bundesliga, La Liga and — of course — the English Premier League.
