NBA whiparound show hosted by Noah Eagle announced as Peacock names Rivers analyst

A new format on Peacock

NBC Sports and Peacock plan to air NBA Whiparound next Monday, Nov. 2. It will take the place of the second game slot in Peacock’s usual doubleheader. The night will begin with the Oklahoma City Thunder playing the Cleveland Cavaliers. After that game, viewers will be able to see snippets from the late games taking place that night.

Eagle, Rivers and Scalabrine

Play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle will host, while Doc Rivers and Brian Scalabrine serve as analysts. Rivers and Scalabrine will also be studio analysts on Peacock’s pregame show. Rivers’ role is an unusual one: NBC brought him on ahead of the season after he retired from coaching.

NBC’s recent whiparound efforts

NBC has used the format for its Olympics Gold Zone show and for Sunday Stretch, which covered MLB games on Independence Day. NFL Red Zone helped make whiparound coverage popular, though applying it to sports with fewer concentrated events has been challenging.

NBA TV ran NBA Crunchtime through the 2024-25 season. Jared Greenberg was its most recent host, and the show did not include studio analysts. NBC’s planned studio lineup offers a different approach, moving between games.

Rights questions remain in focus

When the NBA’s new broadcast rights package was announced, ESPN said it had rights to whiparound coverage as well. ESPN also holds the RedZone branding rights, and rumors have circulated for years about a possible similar college football program.

Before NBC’s Thursday announcement, it was unclear whether its NBA deal allowed it to air whiparound coverage. The NBA’s ratings have continued to rise in the second year of its media deals with NBC, ESPN and Amazon.