NBA TV's Season-Long Programming Highlighted by 97 Live Games, New Original Series & Comprehensive Studio Coverage
Original Programs to Include Return of NBA Inside Stuff, Debut of The Starters & All-New Open Court Episodes
NBA TV remains the destination for fans seeking the most comprehensive season-long coverage of the league with 97 live regular season games, new original series and the most expansive highlights, news and analysis from a leading roster of talent. The network, in the midst of a 32-game NBA preseason schedule and all-access shows such as Real Training Camp offering an in-depth look inside team training camps, will feature the following programming highlights this season:
97-Game Regular Season Schedule
Building on its most-viewed complete regular season ever last year, NBA TV's 97-game regular season schedule will include 12 doubleheaders and up to nine appearances by the NBA champion Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers; and up to eight appearances by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers.
The network will open the season with six games in seven nights, tipping off with the Brooklyn Nets and offseason acquisitions Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kyrie Irving on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. ET. NBA TV's opening night doubleheader will also feature the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and two-time league MVP Steve Nash at 10:30 p.m.
NBA Fan Night
For the fifth consecutive year, NBA TV's popular NBA TV Fan Night presented by Sprint - with Sports Emmy Award-winning host Ernie Johnson and analysts Chris Webber and Greg Anthony - will return on Tuesdays throughout the season beginning Nov. 5. NBA fans will once again have the opportunity to vote via NBA.com, the NBA Facebook page, NBA TV's Facebook page, Yahoo.com, NBA.com mobile web, mobile NBA GameTime App and Twitter for the game they most want to see on NBA TV.
NBA GameTime
The league's signature studio show, NBA GameTime surrounds every game with immersive analysis from a deep roster of analysts each night throughout the season. Matt Winer, Vince Cellini, Rick Kamla and Jared Greenberg host the show with a combination of analysts including Greg Anthony, Brent Barry, Rick Fox, Mike Fratello, Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Scott, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Isiah Thomas.
NBA Inside Stuff
NBA TV is bringing back NBA Inside Stuff, the ground-breaking sports and entertainment all-access show which last aired in 2005, with brand-new episodes featuring co-hosts Grant Hill and Kristen Ledlow set to debut Saturday, Nov. 2, at noon. The series will combine some of the franchise's most celebrated segments - redefined versions of "Jam Session" and "Rewind" - with in-depth interviews highlighting some of the NBA's biggest stars and more, all packaged with a fresh new look.
The 30-minute show will be televised weekly throughout the NBA season (26 episodes), along with several special editions airing at select times during the year. The return of NBA Inside Stuff will also include brand extensions across the entire NBA Digital portfolio and social media integration across all platforms.
The Starters
The Starters, formerly The Basketball Jones, will produce original content across all screens including a weekday show on NBA TV regularly airing at 6 p.m. The Starters - co-hosts J.E. Skeets and Tas Melas, along with contributors Trey Kerby and Leigh Ellis and producers Matt Osten and Jason Doyle - are a collective of fan-focused voices with a unique and unconventional take on the game. Combining a passion for the game with a fun, entertaining and witty approach to generating content, The Starters will make its NBA TV debut Wednesday, Oct. 30 - prior to the network's opening night doubleheader - at a special 5 p.m. start time.
Open Court
Returning for its third consecutive season, NBA TV's critically-acclaimed Open Court will tip off Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. with the first of four episodes airing each Tuesday throughout the month. The show will once again feature a cast of NBA greats including a mix of TNT and NBA TV analysts and special guests sharing their personal accounts of some of the league's top moments and storylines.
The roundtable-style show will include host Ernie Johnson with a combination of analysts including Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving & Dominique Wilkins; NBA Champions Steve Kerr, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith & Brent Barry; Seven-Time NBA All-Stars Grant Hill & Tracy McGrady; and former three-point record holder Dennis Scott.
About NBA TV
The network recorded its most-viewed complete regular season ever last year while also netting four of its top five regular season telecasts of all time. The network - the youngest of any sports network with a median age of 35 - also experienced double-digit audience increases across all original programming. Additionally, NBA GameTime delivered its most-viewed season ever for live episodes.
NBA TV is a part of NBA Digital, the NBA's extensive cross-platform portfolio of digital assets jointly-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband, NBA Mobile, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.
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