In a dramatic first night of the
2025-26 season, NBC Sports’s renewed partnership with the NBA left fans of the
Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers scrambling after a scheduling
snafu forced the marquee season-opener behind a streaming paywall. SFGATE
A tangled broadcast start
The league tipped off Tuesday with a
Western Conference double-header: the Houston Rockets vs. the
Oklahoma City Thunder kicked off the evening on NBC in the network’s first NBA
broadcast in 23 years. Reuters+1
The Warriors-Lakers showdown followed, but when the Rockets-Thunder game ran
into double overtime, NBC opted not to move the second game to another network
or make allowances for local markets. Instead, all viewers—including those in
the Bay Area and Los Angeles—were redirected to NBC’s streaming service,
Peacock. SFGATE
As a result, the tip‐off between the
Warriors and Lakers began without full national broadcast coverage: more than
17 minutes of the contest went unseen on traditional television. By the time
NBC rejoined the game, the Warriors were already ahead. SFGATE
Fan frustration and broadcast backlash
For many longtime fans, especially
in the Warriors and Lakers markets, the decision felt like a throwback to
cord-cutting frustration rather than a smooth season kickoff. In the Bay Area,
the sentiment echoed loud: this was a marquee game, star players on both sides,
yet viewers were forced to hunt for the stream.
And in Los Angeles, the absence of an alternate “fallback” broadcast channel
compounded the aggravation.
One local viewer told SFGate:
“I tuned in expecting NBC — then
nothing. It was 10 minutes of confusion, and by the time the service kicked in
I’d missed the first quarter.” SFGATE
Critics say the incident highlights
the tension between legacy broadcast networks and streaming platforms as media
rights shift. While NBC had announced its plans early, the on-the-ground
execution left viewers stranded.
What the network says and next steps
NBC responded by saying it will
adjust future double-header scheduling to avoid such delays: the plan is to
allocate three-hour blocks for each game so that overruns do not force major
matchups off linear TV. SFGATE
As part of its bigger deal with the NBA, NBC is slated to carry 100
regular-season games per year, while Peacock will stream Monday-night contests.
Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2
For fans wondering how to avoid
future surprises, here are some tips:
Confirm whether the game is airing
on your local NBC affiliate and whether streaming is required. NBC+1
If you rely on streaming, ensure
your internet connection is strong and your selected service (like Peacock) is
working ahead of tip-off.
Consider a backup device or
alternate broadcast platform if your viewing setup is vulnerable.
Keep an eye on in‐game
announcements: if the first game of a doubleheader goes long, the second may
shift platforms.
Bigger picture: what this means for the
NBA-broadcast landscape
The opening night glitch serves as a
microcosm of the evolving sports-broadcast world. As fans increasingly move to
streaming, networks like NBC must juggle the expectations of traditional
viewers (who turn on “the channel”) and the shifting rights models that favor
digital platforms.
For the Warriors and Lakers—a pair of franchises with loyal national
followings—this is more than just a hiccup. It’s a reminder that even marquee
games are vulnerable to logistical and technological disruptions.
And for the league and its media partners, the message is clear: the transition
to multi-platform delivery must be seamless if fan engagement is to remain
high.
Final
word
While the on-court action between
the Warriors and Lakers may have delivered (with stars on both sides and plenty
of storylines), the off-court broadcast missteps created an opening night
experience that left many fans checking their portals and refreshing their
streams rather than enjoying tip-off.
If the NBA on NBC wants to recapture the live-event magic of its past, it will
need to ensure that every fan—whether tuning in via cable, antenna or
stream—feels like they’re part of the game from start to finish.