Amazon Prime to release ABA docuseries ‘Rise & Fall’ in 2026

September 24, 2025

Amazon Prime is entering its first season streaming NBA games as one of the league’s official media rights partners. And it will spend part of that debut season chronicling the old ABA.

Prime Video has ordered a multi-part docuseries, Rise & Fall, which is set to premiere in February 2026, Hoops Wire has learned. The project comes from Prime Video Sports, George Karl’s Truth+ Media, Todd Lieberman’s Hidden Pictures, and Kenan Kamwana Holley’s Holley Films.

The ABA operated from 1967 until its merger with the NBA in 1976, bringing along four franchises that remain staples today — the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs.

The league also gave basketball its flash and style, not to mention popularizing the 3-point line. NBA stars such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Spencer Haywood, George Gervin and Rick Barry all played major roles in the ABA.

Karl, a former ABA player who went on to coach in the NBA for 27 years, is an executive producer on the series. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.

The docuseries is expected to include never-before-seen footage, along with stories that showcase how the ABA opened doors in markets where the NBA hadn’t been, particularly in the southeast.

It also arrives shortly after the NBA and NBPA announced a $24 million lifetime benefit plan for former ABA players, acknowledging their role in shaping the modern game.

So, if you’re looking for a basketball fix during All-Star break and beyond, Amazon will have more than just live games — it’ll have a trip back to one of the sport’s most colorful eras.