New Kevin Hart-Led Alternate Broadcast for NBA Games on ESPN to Debut with In-Season Tournament Championship
‘NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart’ will be offered alongside seven NBA games throughout the rest of the 2023-24 season.
The NBA’s willingness to experiment with new ideas led to its first In-Season Tournament this season, which has been met generally with enthusiasm by fans. The In-Season Tournament Championship game will be held Saturday, Dec. 9 on ABC, but fans who choose to watch it on ESPN2 will get an unexpected surprise!
- ESPN2 will host the new “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart” alternative broadcast for NBA games this season.
- “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart” will debut with the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game this weekend, and will accompany six more broadcasts throughout the season.
- The new alternate broadcast suggests that ESPN may move to a smaller NBA package in its next rights deal, but won’t abandon the league.
What is ‘NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart’?
The NBA In-Season Tournament Championship will be accompanied by the debut of a new alternative broadcast called “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart.” As the name suggests, actor/comedian Kevin Hart will host the telecast, offering his own analysis and opinions mixed in with plenty of comedy.
Joining Hart will be the Plastic Cup Boyz, Joey Wells, Will Horton and Na’im Lynn, ensuring even more jokes and a lively atmosphere. Just like the “ManningCast” alternative stream of “Monday Night Football” games, “NBA Unplugged” will also feature celebrities and athletes making guest appearances to offer their perspective on the game at hand.
There will be a total of seven “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart” broadcasts throughout the season, all of which are likely to appear on ESPN2. There’s no word yet on whether they will also stream on ESPN+ as a limited number of “ManningCast” presentations do. Only three “NBA Unplugged” telecasts have been scheduled so far, but fans can check them out below.
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Dec. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Game | ESPN2 |
| Friday, Jan. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN2 |
| Wednesday, Apr. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat | ESPN2 |
Does New Broadcast Mean ESPN is Keeping the NBA?
There’s been plenty of reporting to indicate that ESPN would like to reduce the amount of NBA games it carries in its next broadcasting deal with that league. That has led to some speculation that ESPN might ditch the NBA altogether, considering its financial position and need to save money to launch a new streaming platform by 2025.
The establishment of a new alternative broadcast for NBA games is just the latest indication that the league’s relationship with ESPN will not end with their current broadcasting deal. If “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart” takes off the way the “ManningCast” did, rising ratings for NBA games on ESPN will make it even more of a must-have item for the channel, particularly when it launches its new streaming service.
Whether “NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart” will be a success remains to be seen, but audiences won’t have to wait long to get their first taste. The alternative broadcast will debut on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET when the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game is played.