ABC to show eight Saturday night NBA games, starting in January

ESPN on ABC will televise eight prime-time games on Saturday next season, starting Jan. 23.

ESPN on ABC will televise eight prime-time games on Saturday next season, the network announced.

Saturday Night NBA on ABC will debut on Jan. 23, with games starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. A pregame show will start 30 minutes earlier.

ESPN says the games will showcase the game’s biggest stars and feature marquee matchups.

The new schedule means ABC and ESPN will air games four days per week, and will cut its usual Sunday doubleheader down to one game. The NBA Sunday Showcase games will start at 3:30 p.m. ET starting on Jan. 31.

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“The creation of Saturday Night NBA on ABC is an important moment in the long, successful relationship between ESPN and the NBA,” ESPN president John Skipper said. “The NBA’s massive popularity continues to open doors for new, collaborative opportunities, and this new series demonstrates ESPN’s commitment to showcase the NBA as often—and across as many platforms—as possible.

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ABC’s coverage of the NBA will start with two games on Christmas Day. The full 2015-16 season schedule is slated to be released next month.

- Scooby Axson