NBCUniversal is gearing up for its NBA coverage when it begins its long-term rights deal with the league this fall, tapping sports broadcaster Maria Taylor as lead studio host for both the NBA and WNBA.
Taylor will host NBC Sports’ NBA studio shows on Sunday and Tuesday nights alongside analysts Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on NBC and Peacock. Along with the studio gig, Taylor will also host select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock in 2026, according to NBC.com.
The NBA on NBC and Peacock will spotlight national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights beginning in October. After Sunday Night Football coverage concludes in Jan. 2026, NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1. Peacock will also livestream exclusive national Monday night games starting this fall.
Taylor has been the lead host of Football Night in America since 2022. Taylor has also hosted for the Tokyo, Beijing, and Paris Olympics; Big Ten College Countdown and NBC Sports’ primetime college football studio program among others.
Due to her new NBA role, Taylor will no longer host Big Ten College Countdown. A new host will be announced soon.
Taylor won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event as part of NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I’m deeply honored to be part of NBC Sports’ incredible legacy covering the NBA and to return to the game that first captured my heart, women’s basketball,” said Taylor. “To know that I’ll spend the next five years with my NBC family telling the stories of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals is more than a dream come true — it’s a full-circle moment.”
