NBC spent $2.45B for NBA rights, but needs to shell out millions more for a song

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For anyone wondering if NBC is hoping to conjure the nostalgia of its NBA on NBC telecasts from the ’90s for its upcoming $2.45 billion deal to air NBA games again starting next season, the answer is a resounding “yes” upon hearing the news that they are in active negotiations to bring back the broadcast’s emblematic theme song.

The catch? The network will probably have to shell out millions of dollars to license the tune, called Roundball Rock, because its creator knows a thing or two about making deals in the entertainment industry.

In case you haven’t watched any “Remember the 90s?” TV specials in a while, that creator is none other than John Tesh — most familiarly known to audiences for his role co-hosting the Hollywood news show Entertainment Tonight. Think of him as the Mario Lopez of his day, since Mario Lopez was still busy delivering memorable lines like “whoa mama!” on Saved By The Bell at the time.

And like Lopez, Tesh was a multi-hyphenate in the industry in his day, with a notable career as a musician as well. Granted, his musical stylings were the butt of some late night jokes over the years (probably second only to Michael Bolton or Kenny G), but he did have a bona fide hit on his hands when he came up with Roundball Rock.

You’ll remember the iconic jingle when you hear it. You know, it goes like “Do-do-do-do… do-do, do-do… Do-do-do-DO-DO–” You know what? Better you just listen to it. Luckily, John Tesh delved into the musical backstory for the piece on his YouTube page.

Anyway, NBC decided they want to bring back the iconic tune for its new NBA coverage mega-deal, and John Tesh decided that if NBC had $2.5 billion dollars to dish out for its NBA coverage, then he could play some hardball in negotiations for Roundball Rock.

According to CNBC, NBC Sports has yet to close a deal with John Tesh for the licensing rights to Roundball Rock, so whether or not it will actually be the tune to signify a big basketball game is about to begin for a new generation is still very much in flux.

For basketball fans who grew up in the ’90s, Roundball Rock is synonymous with watching the Michael Jordan-era Bulls dominate one of their Eastern Conference foes on a Sunday afternoon, or the Knicks and Pacers duking it out for the umpteenth time.

Could NBC Sports commission a new theme song for its new NBA deal? Sure. But if they’re hoping to conjure the same excitement and anticipation of a Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, or Magic Johnson early-’90s matchup, they may just have to pony up some serious dough for John Tesh and the magnum opus of his musical career, Roundball Rock.

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