Since it was first rumored that NBC wanted to get back into the NBA broadcasting game, fans have been wondering whether or not that means “Roundball Rock” would be returning with them.
Now that it’s been reported that NBCUniversal plans to outbid Warner Bros. Discovery for a package of NBA games in the next media deal, that’s all anyone seems to want to know. Will John Tesh’s iconic NBC basketball presentation theme be coming back home?
According to Tesh, that’s entirely up to NBC.
The former Entertainment Tonight host spoke with CNBC’s Alex Sherman and confirmed that, if NBC wins the rights to show NBA games once again, all they have to do is call and he’ll license the theme.
While Fox Sports licensed the theme for college basketball in 2018 and has used it intermittently, Tesh told CNBC that the deal is non-exclusive and doesn’t preclude any media company from using it for NBA games.
While the composer wasn’t able to provide financial figures due to non-disclosure agreements, he noted that he receives royalties based on the number of times the song is played. According to The Ringer, NBC played the theme around 12,000 times between 1990 and 2002.
“It’s funny how people fight for the song,” Tesh told CNBC. “In 1990, it was just another theme. Now the internet is filled with people playing the song on ukulele, Casios, and teaching it on guitar. We still play the song at every concert and show the YouTube videos of these people.”
Considering the lasting nostalgic legacy of “Roundball Rock,” it’s not that surprising that so many NBA fans would love the opportunity to re-live the feeling they got when tuning in to watch Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, or Shaquille O’Neal and hearing that music kick in.
[CNBC]