NBC’s effort to extend its Sunday night NFL success into its new NBA programming partnership will get a boost for its first edition Sunday night from a superstar athlete who isn’t even in the NBA.
Popular WNBA guard Caitlin Clark will join NBC Sports as a special contributor on Feb. 1 for the debut of “Basketball Night in America,” the network’s new NBA pregame program, which airs Sunday nights. Clark will be an analyst on the pregame show, beginning at 6 p.m. ET, ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks matchup in Madison Square Garden, which tips off at 7 p.m.
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The second game that night will feature a playoff rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets in Denver at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Clark will join the studio team, which consists of host Maria Taylor and three Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers in Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter, to provide analysis.
“I’m really excited to be part of the ‘Basketball Night in America’ crew this season,” Clark said in a release. “Carmelo, Vince and Tracy are legends of the game, and Maria is a true professional. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season.”
Clark is one of the faces of women’s basketball. She is a two-time WNBA All-Star, a 2024 All-WNBA First Team selection and the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year after the Indiana Fever selected her No. 1 in that year’s draft following one of the greatest college careers in men’s or women’s basketball.
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The former University of Iowa point guard authored an illustrious collegiate career littered with milestones. Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history (3,951) for men or women. She collected two Naismith College Player of the Year awards (2023, 2024), two AP College Player of the Year awards (2023, 2024), the AP Female Athlete of the Year award (2024) and was a three-time unanimous First Team All-American (2022, 2023, 2024).
Clark will return to “Basketball Night in America” on March 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City when the Thunder host the Knicks.
Why is NBC partnering with Clark?
This is an inspired move by NBC to add Caitlin Clark as a special contributor to its NBA coverage. If you want to be different and potentially add eyeballs, Clark is a good place to start.
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It is difficult for pregame shows to stand out in a world where “Inside the NBA” has dominated for years. While the Michael Jordan addition has been a lot of “big hat, no cattle,” the Clark move could have further dividends.
She was hurt last season, but still might end up being the biggest star in basketball. Wouldn’t you want to have a strong, long-term relationship with that person? NBC not only has the NBA but also the WNBA.
The most interesting aspect of this setup is this: Where does the Clark-NBC relationship go from here? — Andrew Marchand, senior sports media columnist
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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