Sky Italia has officially expanded its coverage of the NBA ahead of the 2025/26 season, reinforcing its dominance as the long-term home of basketball in Italy. The move follows a major multi-market rights agreement between Comcast — Sky’s parent company — and the NBA, which will run for the next 11 years beginning with the upcoming season.
The deal allows Sky Italia to build on its already extensive NBA coverage by offering a broader slate of games and content on its newly launched Sky Sport Basket channel — a dedicated hub for basketball fans across Italy.
Inside the New Rights Package
Under the new arrangement, Sky Italia will deliver an even deeper NBA experience, featuring:
- Pre-season games and opening-day fixtures
- All Christmas Day and MLK Day matchups
- The NBA All-Star Game
- Multiple regular-season and playoff games
- Live coverage of one Conference Finals series per season (with the other shown on delay)
- Exclusive live rights to the NBA Finals in 2027, with delayed coverage in 2026 and 2028
These rights will be shared in rotation with Amazon Prime Video, which signed a global partnership with the NBA last year — an example of how streaming and pay-TV giants are now co-existing in the premium sports landscape.
Beyond the NBA: WNBA and European Basketball Coverage
In a major step forward for women’s sports, Sky Italia will also broadcast WNBA regular-season, playoff, and finals games as part of its expanded basketball offering.
This complements Sky’s existing portfolio, which already includes:
- Exclusive rights to Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) for the 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 seasons (replacing DAZN as rightsholder)
- A renewed EuroLeague and EuroCup deal through 2027/28
- Coverage of the 2025 EuroBasket national teams tournament
Together, these properties solidify Sky’s position as a comprehensive basketball destination — uniting the NBA, WNBA, LBA, and Europe’s premier club competitions under one banner.
A Comprehensive Basketball Ecosystem
Sky’s new Sky Sport Basket channel will officially launch with coverage of the NBA season opener on October 21 (October 22 in Italy). Beyond live broadcasts, the platform will include:
- Daily highlights and analysis on Sky Sport 24
- Digital and social media coverage across Sky’s online platforms
- Studio shows and documentaries exploring NBA storylines and player journeys
The 2025/26 season also holds local interest, as Simone Fontecchio, who joined the Miami Heat after a stint with the Detroit Pistons, remains Italy’s sole representative in the NBA.
Strategic Significance for Sky Italia
The expanded rights package aligns with Comcast’s long-term sports strategy across Europe. Under the parent deal, Sky holds rights to 100 regular-season NBA games in several European markets — including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — ensuring a consistent cross-market presence.
By deepening its domestic coverage, Sky Italia is positioning itself not just as a broadcaster, but as the definitive home of basketball culture in Italy — blending international prestige with local storytelling.
Leadership Perspective
Giuseppe De Bellis, Executive Vice President of Sport, News, and Entertainment at Sky Italia, stated:
“The NBA represents the highest level of professional basketball worldwide and enhances the value of Sky’s entire offering as the home of basketball.
The NBA, along with the LBA and exclusive European tournaments, makes our dedicated Sky Sport Basket channel a unique global destination that brings together the best of all leagues for fans of this great sport.”
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