Noah Eagle, Ahmed Fareed and Terry Gannon are Excited for NBA to Return to NBC

As the NBA makes its highly anticipated return to NBC for the 2025–26 season, a new generation of on-air talent is stepping into a legacy built on iconic moments, unforgettable broadcasts, and that unmistakable Roundball Rock theme. We sat down with NBC Sports’ NBA broadcast team Noah Eagle, Ahmed Fareed, and Terry Gannon to hear what this revival means to them personally and professionally. From nostalgic reflections to bold visions for the future of basketball coverage, these broadcasters are ready to blend tradition with innovation and bring fans closer to the game than ever before.

Noah Eagle

Noah Eagle joined NBC Sports in 2023 as the play-by-play voice of Big Ten Saturday Night and is currently in his third season calling the weekly primetime Big Ten Football game NBC and Peacock. In February 2025, Eagle was named one of NBC Sports’ play-by-play voices for its NBA coverage beginning in October 2025.

What was your first reaction when you heard the NBA was returning to NBC?

Pure joy and excitement. The NBA was my biggest passion from a young age. My earliest and greatest sports memories occurred in the final years of the NBA on NBC. Roundball Rock creates a feeling that brings me back to those childhood moments. Now getting to be a small part of its reboot is absolutely a pinch me type of moment.

What does it mean to you both personally and professionally to be working on the NBA on NBC?

It means I've reached the level I set out to when I first dreamed of doing this. NBC produces excellence. The NBA on NBC has always been filled with some of the greatest voices in the history of sports. As far as I'm concerned, there's not much better than that! 

What can NBA fans both past and present expect from our coverage on NBC and Peacock?

Education, innovation and entertainment. The perfect combination that NBC strives to hit in every broadcast across every property. Blending the old with the new. Showcasing a league that is as strong as it's ever been. Teaching people about the game as it's unfolding. Sharing laughs, anecdotes and drink spillage in the crowd along the way. 

What are you most excited to bring to your coverage of the 2025-26 season?

Celebrating the game in front of us. The NBA is in an era of complete parity. 7 straight season with a different champion is unheard of. The stars of the past are still playing at an incredible level. The stars of the future have officially arrived. Celebrating all of it is going to be paramount. 

How are you going to engage NBA fans throughout the season?

Celebrating, educating and innovating. The big 3 of broadcasting ;) 

Which other NBC Sports properties do you work on? What similarities and differences have you noticed when covering a range of sports?

I work on B1G Saturday Night, Notre Dame primetime football, B1G and Big East basketball and the Olympics. The main thing that sticks out is the production mentality across every event at NBC and Peacock is the same. No corners cut, no steps skipped. Top tier focus on every detail. High level research. Complete team efforts. 

What do you watch when you are not working or consuming sports? i.e. Love Island?

I watch as much as I can outside of sports. Television series and movies have always been passions for me that are right up there with sports. I'm not afraid to admit I got engulfed in the Love Island world this summer -- shoutout Nicolandria! 

Ahmed Fareed

Ahmed Fareed currently serves as a host and reporter on a variety of sport events and properties across NBC Sports. Beginning in August, he will be the host of Big Ten College Countdown, NBC Sports’ primetime college football studio show, and following the college football season, will anchor NBC Sports’ Monday night NBA coverage, presented exclusively on Peacock.

What was your first reaction when you heard the NBA was returning to NBC?

My first reaction was, "How do I get involved?" Watching the NBA on NBC was such a huge part of my formative years following sports. I loved my Detroit Pistons. Watching Ahmad Rashad on NBC back in the day and thinking that there could be an 'Ahmed Fareed' working in a similar capacity. What are the chances of that?

What does it mean to you both personally and professionally to be working on the NBA on NBC?

I love working on any property that has a lot of energy behind it. And NBC is putting so much energy behind the NBA to make these shows special, stand out, and really serve the basketball audience. I'm looking forward to being as creative and informative as possible. 

What can NBA fans both past and present expect from our coverage on NBC and Peacock?

I think any show that stands out hits three sweet spots: If we can do all three, we'll hit it out of the park.

1. The crew is informative
2. The crew is celebrating the best of what we are watching
3. The crew is good company and having fun while doing it

What are you most excited to bring to your coverage of the 2025-26 season?

I'm excited to bring a different flavor of NBA coverage back to the NBA. Who knows exactly what that will look like, but we have a chance to create something special.

How are you going to engage NBA fans throughout the season?

Hopefully, while we are out and about visiting all these different arenas through the regular season, playoffs, and All-Star weekend, I can personally go up and high five some of you who are enjoying our show. That would be special.

Which other NBC Sports properties do you work on? What similarities and differences have you noticed when covering a range of sports?

I work on a lot of our sports properties. If you watch NBC and are a sports fan, chances are I've popped up on your TV. While the Olympics, Premier League, horse racing, college football, and college basketball all have their differences, the main thing is that you are watching because you enjoy the sports. My job is to enhance your enjoyment and fulfill your curiosity. Hopefully, we can all do that together.

Terry Gannon

Terry Gannon is one of NBC Sports’ most versatile voices, serving as a play-by-play announcer and host for the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Olympic figure skating and gymnastics, as well as other major events in those two sports, and college basketball. Beginning in October 2025, he will serve as a play-by-play voice when the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock.

What was your first reaction when you heard the NBA was returning to NBC?

My first reaction when hearing the NBA was returning to NBC was to immediately call Sam Flood to tell him I wanted in! I don’t remember a rights acquisition that I was more excited about than this. 

What does it mean to you both personally and professionally to be working on the NBA on NBC?

On a personal level being a part of NBC’s NBA coverage is extremely meaningful and a return to my roots. The first 25 years of my life were consumed with basketball. I was lucky enough to play for Jim Valvano at NC State and be a part of a national championship team in 1983. I started my professional career as an assistant coach for Jimmy V and eventually my broadcast career as a hoops tv analyst. My play-by-play days include a previous stint calling NBA games and I am thrilled about the return to covering the league. 

What can NBA fans both past and present expect from our coverage on NBC and Peacock?

Fans can expect our coverage to document the action in an honest, authentic way, bring the excitement of NBA arenas to them and to tell the stories of the best basketball players and teams in the world. I get to team up with a roster of analysts who have been there and done that at the highest level. 

Which other NBC Sports properties do you work on? What similarities and differences have you noticed when covering a range of sports?

Along with coverage of the NBA, I’m involved with several NBC Sports properties. I’ll be headed to Milan for my 9th Olympics in February to cover the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and Figure Skating. When the Summer Olympics roll around, I call Gymnastics with the rest of my schedule including the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, College Basketball and more. The through line is getting to watch the greatest athletes in the world deal with the pressure of crunch time with everything on the line. One fascinating aspect is observing how players in team sports involve their teammates in those moments and how individual sports athletes have no one to turn to but themselves. 

About NBA on NBC and Peacock

For the first time in more than two decades, the NBA is back on NBC -- and making its Peacock debut -- with 100 regular-season games across three marquee nights of the week: Sunday Night Basketball, beginning Feb. 1, 2026; Peacock NBA Monday, debuting Oct. 27; and Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, premiering Oct. 28. NBC Sports’ 2025-26 NBA slate begins with an NBA Tip-Off doubleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and also features the NBA Mexico City Game 2025, the first-ever quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, All-Star Weekend, and comprehensive playoff coverage.