The 2025-26 NBA season has been defined by more than just the action on the court; it’s the year the league’s media landscape was completely rebuilt. With the new multibillion-dollar TV rights deal officially in play, fans have had to relearn their remote controls. NBC has made its triumphant return to the rotation, reclaiming Tuesday and Sunday night slots with that iconic “Roundball Rock” theme.
Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video has become a Thursday night staple, and ESPN/ABC continues to anchor the weekend’s biggest matchups. It was supposed to be a new golden era for basketball broadcasting, and NBC thought they had the ultimate ace up their sleeve to seal the deal: the return of “His Airness” himself.
Why Jordan’s “Special Contributor” Role Is Falling Flat
When NBC announced they had signed Michael Jordan as a “special contributor,” it felt like the ultimate mic drop. This is the man who built the modern NBA, a global icon with six rings whose very presence adds instant prestige.
The assumption among the fanbase was clear: we were going to see Jordan regularly providing the kind of cut-throat, high-level insight that only a six-time champion can offer. Whether it was halftime breakdowns or weighing in on the evolution of today’s superstars, the expectations were sky-high.
Unfortunately, the reality has been far less spectacular. So far, Jordan’s “presence” has been little more than a ghost in the machine. His involvement has been limited to a single pre-recorded conversation with Mike Tirico, which the network has been chopping up and releasing in tiny, infrequent snippets.
In fact, throughout the entirety of 2026, only one of those segments has actually made it to air, clocking in at just over four minutes. For a partnership that was hyped as a game-changer for sports media, it’s been a remarkably quiet follow-up.
The disappointment doesn’t stem from the quality of the content, but the quantity. When you attach a name like Michael Jordan to your broadcast and float rumors of a paycheck worth tens of millions annually, the audience expects an actual presence. Instead of a recurring studio analyst or a voice helping fans navigate a tense playoff race, viewers have received a handful of taped minutes.
As the season tightens and the playoffs loom, fans are starting to realize that the “Jordan era” at NBC might be more of a marketing gimmick than a legitimate broadcast revolution. If NBC wants to keep the momentum of their comeback season, they might need to find a way to get MJ into the studio-or at least give him more than four minutes of airtime.
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