Kevin Harlan trending towards a deal with Amazon; The NFL has revealed its next international game site; the NFLPA director pushes back on an 18-game season; ESPN may have moved too soon on its NBA schedule changes.
NBC still a possibility for Kevin Harlan
TNT NBA play-by-play voice Kevin Harlan acknowledged Friday he is close to a deal with Amazon to call games next season, but did not rule out the possibility of joining NBC’s roster as well. Speaking on a podcast with Richard Deitsch, Harlan shared that an NBC deal seems unlikely given the complexities of his existing role with CBS. Harlan expressed deep loyalty to CBS, and wanted to ensure his next NBA move was compatible with CBS’s wishes for their NFL and college basketball coverage.
At Amazon, Harlan would join fellow TNT voice Ian Eagle. An NBC role would probably place Harlan behind Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle, although the Peacock component of NBC’s deal results in much more inventory. Harlan, 64, also expressed a desire for a somewhat reduced workload.
Harlan will cap off his 30-year run calling NBA games for TNT when he calls the Eastern Conference Finals this spring in the final season of the network’s NBA coverage.
NFL announces Dublin game next season
The NFL announced Friday the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a regular-season game at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland next season, marking the first regular season game played in Ireland. An opponent, date, kickoff time, and television information were not revealed, although European games have in recent years been mostly scheduled at 9:30 AM ET on NFL Network or ESPN+. The Steelers previously played a preseason game in Dublin against the Bears in 1997.
The NFL is targeting eight international games this season, and so far has announced three games in London, one in Madrid, and one in Berlin, in addition to the Dublin game. Mexico City and Sao Paulo appear to be candidates for the final two games.
The news comes as the league announced earlier this week the Los Angeles Rams will host a 2026 game in Melbourne, Australia as part of a multiyear commitment.
NFLPA not interested in expanded season
NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. pushed back on commissioner Roger Goodell‘s proposed eighteen-game season Wednesday, saying “No one wants to play an 18th game. No one,” according to ESPN. Goodell claimed on Monday that research shows that there is not additional risk associated with an expanded season, to which Howell reacted with skepticism.
An expanded regular-season is one of several schedule-related decisions confronting the NFL as it faces pressure to deliver ever-increasing revenue distributions to team owners. Goodell said on Monday that he does not wish to expand the season until formal negotiations with the NFLPA surrounding a new collective bargaining agreement can begin. The current CBA is set to expire in 2030.
ESPN jumps the gun on Doncic debut
ESPN has picked up Saturday’s Pacers-Lakers game, in anticipation of the LA debut of Luka Doncic, which is now expected for Monday, according to Marc Stein. Signs pointed to Doncic appearing on Saturday when the game was selected, but that may no longer be the case.
Monday’s home game against the Jazz is set for a 10:30 PM ET tipoff. TNT and ESPN both have other basketball programming scheduled for Monday. NBA TV is scheduled to air Warriors-Bucks at 8:00 and could easily tack on Jazz-Lakers as a nightcap.
Pending further updates, the Saturday game will air at 4 PM on ESPN, with or without Doncic. The move forced some other changes to the network’s college basketball schedule, including bumping a top-10 matchup of Florida and Auburn to ESPN2. Jazz-Suns, which was scheduled for Friday, will no longer be nationally televised.
