According to The Hollywood Reporter reported that NBC is shaking up its primetime schedule for the 2024–25 season, adding live NBA coverage and debuting new comedies while renewing two freshman dramas. The changes begin this October, when NBC airs professional basketball for the first time since 2002.
Tuesday nights will be dedicated to NBA games starting Oct. 21, with Sunday broadcasts joining in early 2026. According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBCUniversal’s president of program planning strategy Jeff Bader called the NBA “our biggest new show in the fall.”
“This is a huge moment for us, and for fans,” Bader said.
The network is also launching a Monday and Friday comedy block in November, featuring returning favorites and new series. Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, The Last O.G.) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, Miracle Workers) will co-star in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, one of NBC’s most anticipated comedies.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Tina Fey (Girls5eva, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) is executive producing the show, reuniting with Morgan for the first time since 30 Rock. Two additional pilots—Stumble and a currently untitled Native community center comedy—are also contenders to join the new lineup.
NBC’s fall programming will operate on a dual schedule. In September and early October, two-hour episodes of The Voice and Jimmy Fallon’s new unscripted show On Brand will air on Tuesdays, before shifting to Fridays once NBA games begin.
NBC is also investing in its freshman dramas, giving full-season renewals to Brilliant Minds and The Hunting Party. Brilliant Minds will continue its run on Mondays at 10 p.m., while The Hunting Party stays paired with Law & Order: SVU on Thursdays.
“Our goal is to really let these dramas grow and find their audience,” Bader said. “We need to give these full seasons and really lean into them.”
Meanwhile, the network’s Wednesday lineup of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D., as well as the Thursday two-hour Law & Order block, will remain unchanged. The future of Grosse Pointe Garden Society is still undecided, pending further review.
NBC’s Sunday primetime will switch from NFL to NBA in early 2026, and a midseason replacement will fill the Monday slot during breaks in The Voice. Surviving Earth, a natural history follow-up to The Americas, is also set to premiere later in the season.
“This is all about building consistency and momentum,” Bader told The Hollywood Reporter. “We want to get back to a place where full-season dramas are the norm again.”
The Tuesday NBA broadcasts will be regional, starting at 8 p.m. ET in the East and 8 p.m. PT in the West. Both games will also stream live nationwide on Peacock.
As NBC balances live sports with fresh scripted content, the network is betting big on strategic scheduling and established talent. With a mix of new comedies, returning dramas, and high-stakes NBA matchups, NBC is crafting a primetime lineup designed to score.