NBC Promotes NBA With AI Voice of Jim Fagan, Who Died in 2017
NBC is gearing up for the highly anticipated return of the NBA to its airwaves in the fall of 2025, marking a nostalgic drive to bring back the excitement of basketball after more than two decades. The network recently announced its plans to utilize AI technology to bring back the iconic voice of former narrator Jim Fagan, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 72. Fagan’s voice was synonymous with NBC Sports’ coverage of the NBA from 1990 to 2002, creating unparalleled excitement for the league’s biggest matchups and stars such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
In a nod to its NBA days of yore, NBC also revealed that the familiar theme song “Roundball Rock” by John Tesh, which was the network’s NBA coverage theme from 1990 to 2002, will be making a comeback. The network will use AI voice synthesis technology to recreate Fagan’s voice for select title sequences, show opens, and promos for its upcoming NBA coverage, supplementing traditional voiceover work by other artists hired by NBC Sports.
This isn’t the first time NBC has utilized AI-generated voices, as they previously recreated sports announcer Al Michaels’ voice for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. NBC Sports president Rick Cordella expressed excitement about introducing Fagan’s voice to a new generation of fans, highlighting the nostalgia and significance of his iconic narration style. Fagan’s daughters also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honor their father’s legacy through this project.
Fagan, who grew up in Windber, Pennsylvania, had a passion for acting that led him to a distinguished voiceover career, particularly at NBC Sports where he became a prominent narrator for various programs, most notably the NBA. NBCU secured a media rights deal with the NBA in July 2024, investing over $2.4 billion per year over an 11-year period. The rights include 100 regular-season games, the NBA All-Star Game, and exclusive first-round playoff games, as well as WNBA games.
In addition to the TV coverage, Peacock will livestream exclusive national NBA games on Monday nights, while NBC and Peacock will present national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights. NBC Sports will also introduce “Sunday Night Basketball” in 2026 across NBC and Peacock. The network has assembled a talented team for its NBA coverage, with analysts such as Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, and Carmelo Anthony, along with play-by-play announcers Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle.
With the return of the NBA to NBC’s lineup and the innovative use of AI technology to bring back Jim Fagan’s voice, fans can look forward to a nostalgic yet exciting new era of basketball coverage on the network.
