Australia’s top-tier National Basketball League (NBL) is reportedly set to secure a new and upgraded domestic free-to-air (FTA) rights deal after unveiling record attendance, broadcast, and digital numbers for the 2025-26 season.
The NBL campaign ended earlier this month with the Sydney Kings crowned champions after winning a five-game Championship Series against the Adelaide 36ers.
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Citing sources close to the deal, Australia’s Herald Sun news outlet said the NBL is now in talks with several broadcasters over a new FTA deal, which will see a significant increase in coverage from the 2026-27 season.
Commercial broadcaster Network Ten held FTA rights for the 2025-26 season as part of a one-season renewal struck last August, which saw it air two games each Sunday at 2.30 pm (AEDT) on Channel 10 and 4.30 pm on Drama 10.
Primary rights to the league, meanwhile, are held by international sports broadcaster ESPN under a three-year deal that sees it air every match live, as well as games from the new in-season tournament, the Ignite Cup, each Wednesday night, and the pre-season tournament, ‘The Blitz’.
In total, ESPN airs 166 live NBL games during the season, along with weekly news and studio coverage.
ESPN is available in Australia through pay-TV operator Foxtel, its streaming service Kayo, and subscription service Fetch TV, as well as pay-TV heavyweight Sky in New Zealand, via carriage deals with ESPN.
The news comes days after the NBL announced record growth across attendance, broadcast, and digital performance for the 2025-26 season, headlined by a 21% season-on-season increase in live streaming on ESPN.
The figure shows two consecutive years of over 20% growth in ESPN viewership, while Network Ten saw an 18% increase in viewership compared to its 2024-25 season coverage.
Specifically, Network Ten’s viewership during the NBL’s finals series surged by 36% on its primary linear channel, driven by a Championship Series that saw the Sydney Kings beat the Adelaide 36ers in overtime of their Game Five decider.
The league said Game Five of the Championship Series achieved the highest reach in ESPN history for the NBL, with the game also becoming Network Ten’s most-watched NBL game, reaching 559,000.
The estimated 900,000 viewers across ESPN and Network 10 for Game Five is a 76% increase on ESPN and a 62% boost on FTA compared to last season’s decider.
NBL Group chief executive David Stevenson said the league’s trajectory marked a “golden era” for domestic basketball in Australia and New Zealand, adding: “The audience numbers we’ve seen through the Championship Series, particularly game five reaching close to 900,000 viewers, represent a seminal moment for the NBL.
“It’s a clear signal of how far the league has come and just reinforces that we are entering a new phase in the Australian sporting landscape.
“This is a special time for the NBL, and we’re focused on continuing to build something even bigger for our fans, alongside our clubs, players, and partners in the years ahead.”
Along with record viewership numbers, the NBL saw the highest attendance, drawing 1,231,796 fans across the season – the second consecutive year the record has been broken and the third straight season with over one million fans attending games.
The Championship Series alone drew a record 70,269 fans across the five-game battle between the Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings.
The league also announced a record 63 sell-out games across the season after last year’s record of 55 games.
Digital engagement also drew record figures, with the league’s social media audience reaching almost two million followers, with over 70% of the NFL’s Instagram and YouTube views in the past month originating from international audiences, highlighting its global growth.
