NBA opening night returned to NBC to kick off the 2025-26 season. For the first time since 2002, fans heard John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock” before Mike Tirico called the play-by-play. Families gathered around their televisions to tune into a broadcast some had not experienced in decades.
The opening contest between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder certainly did not disappoint, ending in a double-overtime thriller. However, for many people, the telecast meant more than just an ordinary NBA opening night.
How Did NBC’s Opening Night Broadcast Perform Compared to Past Networks?
Initial results show NBC passed its first test in 23 years with flying colors.
The comparison between TNT and NBC’s broadcasts is astounding. 5.61 million viewers tuned in on the evening of Oct. 21, 2025. TNT brought in 87% fewer viewers with 2.95 million a season ago.
NBC and TNT shared NBA rights later in the 20th century. The former started airing NBA games in 1954, while TNT began in 1989. TNT had rights for 36 years until the new media rights deal with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC took effect at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Many fans raved about the broadcast’s nostalgic feel. “Roundball Rock” brought adults back to their childhood days in the 1990s when they watched superstars like Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, and Michael Jordan battle on the hardwood.
Ewing’s “cue up the music” cameo introduction immediately drew in audiences who watched him in his prime 30 years ago. YouTube users flooded the comments with nostalgia under Ewing’s introduction.
One fan said, “The NBA…IS BACK ON NBC. And Roundball Rock never looked better.”
The network blended both the past and the present in the introduction. They had NBA stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Brunson attempt to recall memories from the 1990s. Of course, they could not because they were too young, and some were not even born yet.
Michael Jordan Gives Back to Basketball Fans and NBC
NBC’s nostalgic broadcast brought families together, as parents explained its significance to their children. It became even more important and captivating when Jordan appeared in a halftime segment and explained why he felt it was important to join NBC as a special contributor.
“I have an obligation to the game of basketball … as a basketball player is to be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game of basketball,” said Jordan.
Young aspiring basketball players can tune into broadcasts this season and hear from arguably the greatest player of all time. NBC appeased both the older and younger generations in a great opening night broadcast.