NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed a new All-Star Game format, streaming deal, including the new features for fans to look forward to in 2025-26. Silver, who's always looking for new ways to enhance the association for the average viewer, believes his new approach to the All-Star Game will make for a better product this upcoming season. He's also looking forward to the league's new TV deals with ESPN, ABC, Amazon, and Peacock streaming services.
For Silver, NBA fans can enjoy not only the games itself via the league's new deal with streaming services, but also, free highlights from the games throughout the 2025-26 campaign, he said, per Oh No He Didn't's X, formerly Twitter.
“There's a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free,” Silver said. “This is very much a highlights-based sport. So, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Twitter — you name it — any service, the New York Times, for that matter, your content is not behind a paid firewall. There's an enormous amount of content out there — YouTube — another example, that is advertising-based, that consumers can consume.”
"There's a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free. This is very much a highlight based sport."
Adam Silver when asked about the rising costs of subscriptions across multiple outlets 🗣️
pic.twitter.com/AdbqVn8elJ— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 10, 2025
The NBA is entering perhaps what will be referred to as the league's “streaming era,” where the majority of nationally televised games will be available on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and the ESPN App in addition to broadcasting channels under its new media rights deal. Every nationally televised game will be accessible via at least one national streaming service.
The NBA's Tip-Off Night for the upcoming season is on NBC and Peacock on October 21.
Adam Silver's confident in new All-Star Game format
NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes in his new format for the All-Star Game and the new streaming deal. In yet another tournament-style format, which made its debut in 2024, an team of international All-Stars will be formed to play against three All-Star teams.
Silver says the new 2026 All-Star Game format will make for a better viewing experience for NBA fans, he said, per Fox Sports 1 reporter Rachel Nichols.
“I know I've stood up in front of you before, and said we've fixed it, we got it,” Silver said, to which Nichols added, “That he does truly believe a round-robin format with 3 teams of American players and 1 team of international players will be a success,” she said.
It's been eight years since the league's MVP award was earned by an United States-native All-Star, which happened to be Clippers All-Star James Harden in 2018. The following seven MVP awards have been awarded to Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, 2020), Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic (2021, 2022, 2024), 76ers' Joel Embiid (2023), and Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025).
