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The NBA fan viewing experience will look different later this year, but there is also a touch of nostalgia.
Last summer, Comcast/NBC Universal was closed 11-year contract Regular and postseason NBA and WNBA games rights. These games will be presented across the network’s linear and streaming platforms starting from the 2025-26 season. As viewers prepare to adjust their fall habits, the network has announced that AI-powered tools will help regain the 1990s vibe.
The late Jim Fagan, whose iconic voice became synonymous with NBC programming in the 90s, will become part of future NBA coverage – thanks artificial intelligence.
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The NBA logo will adorn the court during an NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at Thomas & Mac Center in Las Vegas on July 7, 2023. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Fagan’s AI-generated voices will be deployed for coverage of the NBC league. The re-created audio can also be heard in promotional elements selected from October.
These elements include several title sequences, Show Open, and other promotions, NBC announced in a press release. The company will utilize other narrator artists for more traditional work.
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Fagan’s family has given NBC Sports permission to recreate the voices of famous storytellers using AI speech synthesis technology.
Fagan’s daughters Jana Sylvia Joyce and Lisa Sylvia Kooning issued a statement saying they “we are deeply grateful that NBC Sports has a vision to honor their father’s legacy in such a meaningful way.”
On April 5, 2024, the ball sails through the hoop during a game between the Miami Heat and the Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston. (Troy Taormina-Usa Today Sports)
“For many basketball fans, the gym’s unique and recognizable voice immediately evokes a deep sense of nostalgia for a special time in NBA history,” NBC Sports President Rick Koldella said in a statement. “His voice perfectly captured the heavyweight matchups and star size he was introducing. It was a joy to work with Jim’s family to recreate his voice and honor his legacy.
NBA basketball is sitting on the rack before a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets in Detroit on March 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, file)
Fagan played College Football In West Virginia. He passed away in 2017.
Amazon is one of three partners in its record of a $76 billion media rights agreement with the NBA. Disney, the parent company of ESPN, will continue its partnership with the league in accordance with the terms of its latest contract.
“NBA on NBC” was held from 1990 to 2002. The partnership between TNT and the NBA began in 1989, with the “NBA Inside the NBA” studio show gaining popularity for decades. However, in July 2024, The NBA refused to bid We exercise our rights from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the parent company of TNT, to match offers from Amazon for some of the league’s media rights transactions.
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In May 2024, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed confidence that at least two of the “inside the NBA” stars will continue to cover the NBA for the next few years, regardless of which networks hold broadcast rights.
“We’ll never lose Charles (Berkeley) and Kenny (Smith),” Silver said. “They’re always going to cover the NBA. …I can’t imagine those people. [on ‘Inside the NBA’] We will not perform together in the future to present together and we all love them. ”
The program will be licensed to ESPN from the 2025-26 season, so all four notable faces of “Inside the NBA” will ultimately remain together.
The league’s current media rights deal will expire in June NBA Finals.
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