It isn’t yet clear whether NBC will walk away with rights to NBA games beginning next year (the league is still holding talks with current rightsholder Warner Bros. Discovery, though NBC made an aggressive bid for its package).
But one thing is now clear: “Roundball Rock” will be making a comeback.
The song, composed by John Tesh, was the anthem of The NBA on NBC from 1990 until the network lost NBA rights in 2002.
Tesh was a guest on The Dan Le Batard Show Tuesday, and he was asked whether the network had reached out to him about re-licensing the song.
“They have, actually, yeah,” Tesh said when asked by the radio host about a reach-out from the network. “Nothing firm, but they said, ‘Hey, can you stay frosty on this?’ like a Navy SEALs thing.”
In fact, Tesh added that he was planning to re-record “Roundball Rock” next month, with a potential return to TV set for July when NBC will host the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We’re actually talking right now about licensing it to them for the Olympics in Paris, which is always great,” Tesh said. “At the end of June, we’re heading to Nashville, we’ve got a full orchestra on hold, we’re gonna re-record it. I think it still sounds great, but I wanted to make a few changes, maybe open up the middle. Maybe we’ll send it to you guys. You can turn it into an EDM track.”
The return of “Roundball Rock” to NBC — even if just for the Olympics — comes as the NBA is closing in on new TV rights deals. Current partner Disney and ESPN is said to have worked out a deal for the “A” package of games — including the NBA Finals on ABC — within its exclusive negotiating window.
The league’s other current media partner, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports, did not exit its window with a deal. Subsequently, reports have indicated that Amazon has secured a deal for a “C” package of games, with NBC Sports making an aggressive bid for the “B” package, offering more than twice what WBD is currently paying the league, for fewer games.
WBD is still in talks with the league, though if the NBA chooses NBC’s offer, WBD may have the ability to match it. It was important enough for WBD to mention at last week’s upfront presentation in New York.
“Before I close, I want to mention a topic on everyone’s mind: The NBA,” TNT Sports chairman Luis Silberwasser said. “We have enjoyed a successful partnership with the NBA for 40 years, and we look forward to another season, and reaching an agreement that makes sense for all the parties.”
NBC Sports, it seems, is already ready to rock, turning to Tesh in the event they are able to bring the NBA back to its network, and to Peacock.