This is a timeline of television coverage of
basketball in the United Kingdom.
1980s
The BBC shows highlights of the National Championship finals, airing the coverage
Grandstand.[1] Coverage had been shown since the late 1970s and continues throughout the decade.
1982
8 November – The newly launched
Channel 4 shows live sport for the first time when it broadcasts coverage of a match from Division One of the
National Basketball League. It shows highlights of the first half of the game and live coverage of the second half.
1983
No events.
1984
No events.
1985
28 September – The final edition of World of Sport is broadcast. Brief highlights of the
NBA Finals had been shown on the programme from time to time, and the programme's cessation sees ITV's coverage of the
NBA end until the late 1990s.
1986 to 1989
No events.
1990s
1990
No events.
1991
No events.
1992
No events.
1993
1 March –
Screensport closes following its merger with
Eurosport in the hope that one would become financially profitable.[2] The channel had shown regular coverage of the
NBA since the mid 1980s. Coverage moves to Sky Sports.
30 March –
Channel 5 launches and it broadcasts live American sport on weeknights, including games from the NBA.
1998
17 January – The BBC shows live coverage of the
National Cup final.[4]
1999
The launch at the end of 1998 of
ITV2 includes a deal to show brief NBA highlights and the start of 1999 sees the main ITV channel broadcast a weekly Saturday lunchtime 30-minute magazine called NBA '99
NTL outbids Sky with a 10-year, £22m contract to show the BBL. However the cable company did not capitalise on this and the BBL continues to be seen on Sky Sports.[5]
The closure of
ITV Digital sees television coverage of the BBL end as no other broadcaster picks up the rights to the league. This results in a loss of exposure for the sport in the UK and in a significant loss of income to member clubs.[6]
12 January – The BBC shows live coverage of what was to be the last National Cup with BBL involvement. This brought to an end the BBC's coverage of live domestic basketball, having shown this event since 1998.
2004
No events.
2005
No events.
2006
September –
MKTV does a deal with the
British Basketball League to show 40 live games each year as well as marketing and sponsorship rights.[7] However, no funds were ever forthcoming and the station would only broadcast two games.
1 December – BT Sport shows its first
NBA match, thereby adding professional
basketball to its broadcasting of the college game which it shows as part of its coverage of the
NCAA.[13]
29 March – The BBC shows the first of nine games from the final stages of the
2022–23 NBA season. The Corporation broadcasts six regular season games, two play-off games, one Conference Finals game and one NBA Finals game plus selected highlights and an end-of-season review show.[18]
This is a timeline of television coverage of
basketball in the United Kingdom.
1980s
The BBC shows highlights of the National Championship finals, airing the coverage
Grandstand.[1] Coverage had been shown since the late 1970s and continues throughout the decade.
1982
8 November – The newly launched
Channel 4 shows live sport for the first time when it broadcasts coverage of a match from Division One of the
National Basketball League. It shows highlights of the first half of the game and live coverage of the second half.
1983
No events.
1984
No events.
1985
28 September – The final edition of World of Sport is broadcast. Brief highlights of the
NBA Finals had been shown on the programme from time to time, and the programme's cessation sees ITV's coverage of the
NBA end until the late 1990s.
1986 to 1989
No events.
1990s
1990
No events.
1991
No events.
1992
No events.
1993
1 March –
Screensport closes following its merger with
Eurosport in the hope that one would become financially profitable.[2] The channel had shown regular coverage of the
NBA since the mid 1980s. Coverage moves to Sky Sports.
30 March –
Channel 5 launches and it broadcasts live American sport on weeknights, including games from the NBA.
1998
17 January – The BBC shows live coverage of the
National Cup final.[4]
1999
The launch at the end of 1998 of
ITV2 includes a deal to show brief NBA highlights and the start of 1999 sees the main ITV channel broadcast a weekly Saturday lunchtime 30-minute magazine called NBA '99
NTL outbids Sky with a 10-year, £22m contract to show the BBL. However the cable company did not capitalise on this and the BBL continues to be seen on Sky Sports.[5]
The closure of
ITV Digital sees television coverage of the BBL end as no other broadcaster picks up the rights to the league. This results in a loss of exposure for the sport in the UK and in a significant loss of income to member clubs.[6]
12 January – The BBC shows live coverage of what was to be the last National Cup with BBL involvement. This brought to an end the BBC's coverage of live domestic basketball, having shown this event since 1998.
2004
No events.
2005
No events.
2006
September –
MKTV does a deal with the
British Basketball League to show 40 live games each year as well as marketing and sponsorship rights.[7] However, no funds were ever forthcoming and the station would only broadcast two games.
1 December – BT Sport shows its first
NBA match, thereby adding professional
basketball to its broadcasting of the college game which it shows as part of its coverage of the
NCAA.[13]
29 March – The BBC shows the first of nine games from the final stages of the
2022–23 NBA season. The Corporation broadcasts six regular season games, two play-off games, one Conference Finals game and one NBA Finals game plus selected highlights and an end-of-season review show.[18]