NBC to Broadcast NBA Playoffs After Derby and Preakness

NBC Sports plans to air NBA playoff games following the Derby and Preakness horse races this year. This move is a smart one, as NBC Sports EP Sam Flood confirmed that NBC will be covering NBA playoff games right after the horse races. The Kentucky Derby lines up with the end of the first playoff round, while the Preakness aligns with the end of the conference semifinals. For years, NBC has used its coverage of the Triple Crown horse races to lead into other big sports events, like NBA games. It’s no surprise since the audience from these races often carries over to other sports programming.

Since 2001, NBC has crowned its Triple Crown horse race broadcasts with other sports events like NBA games. This strategy worked well in the past, especially during the NHL’s 16-year stint on the network. The Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes served as perfect lead-ins for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Recently, NBC has used the same tactic by following the Preakness horse race with USFL games in 2022 and Derby with USFL games in 2023.

For the NBA Playoffs, NBC will kick off the coverage with three consecutive nights of doubleheaders on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. In the following days, games will be split between Peacock and NBCSN. The network has the rights to broadcast a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 23 games in the first playoff round. Similarly, they have a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 11 games in the second round, and will fully cover the Western Conference Finals this season.

With the rise of streaming services, NBC has the option to air half of the early rounds on Peacock. However, it’s uncertain how many games beyond the minimum will be allocated to the streaming platform this season. Games airing on Peacock will also be available on NBCSN, so fans won’t have to miss out. It will be interesting to see how NBC’s integration of the NBA Playoffs and their Triple Crown horse races coverage will play out this year.