If you are figuring out where to watch NBA 2026 games, the new media deal that began in 2025-26 decides it: ESPN and ABC, NBC and Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video now share the national schedule, and TNT is no longer a partner. Monday and Tuesday nights belong to Peacock and NBC, Wednesday to ESPN, Thursday and Friday to Prime Video, and weekends to ABC and NBC. Local games stay on regional networks, and out-of-market games are on NBA League Pass.
The 2026-27 season tips off on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Below is the full map, with approximate prices at the time of writing.
The 2026-27 national TV map
| Network / service | Regular-season games | Key nights and events | Approx. streaming price |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBC / Peacock / NBCSN | 100 | Peacock Monday, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, Sunday Night Basketball, opening night, MLK Day, All-Star | Peacock Premium, about $12.99/mo |
| ESPN / ABC | 80 | Wednesday ESPN doubleheaders, ABC Saturday and Sunday, five Christmas Day games, NBA Finals | ESPN Unlimited, about $29.99/mo (increase to about $31.99 announced for Sept. 17) |
| Prime Video | 66 | Friday, Thursday from January, Saturday afternoons from February, NBA Cup knockouts, Play-In | Amazon Prime, about $14.99/mo |
| NBA TV | Schedule announced later | Additional national games | Live TV services |
| NBA League Pass | Out-of-market games | Every game not on national TV or in your local market | About $109.99/season |
Night-by-night schedule
| Night | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Peacock and NBCSN | Up to two games, from Oct. 26 to April 5 |
| Tuesday | NBC and Peacock | Coast 2 Coast doubleheaders from Oct. 27 |
| Wednesday | ESPN | Doubleheaders all season |
| Thursday | Prime Video | Doubleheaders from January |
| Friday | Prime Video and ESPN | ESPN Friday doubleheaders from January |
| Saturday | Prime Video (afternoon, from February) and ABC (night, from Dec. 12) | ABC Saturday Primetime |
| Sunday | ABC (afternoon) and NBC/Peacock (night) | Sunday Night Basketball from Jan. 24 to April 4 |
Opening week and the big dates
- Opening night, Oct. 20: an NBC and Peacock tripleheader starting with Celtics at Pistons, then Knicks vs. 76ers and Spurs vs. Thunder.
- Oct. 21 and 22: ESPN doubleheaders, including Warriors at Lakers.
- Oct. 23: Prime Video’s first doubleheader, with Knicks at Celtics.
- Christmas Day: five games on ABC and ESPN, starting with Spurs at Knicks, a rematch of last season’s Finals.
- MLK Day, Jan. 18: NBC and Peacock quadrupleheader.
- All-Star Weekend, Feb. 19 to 21 in Phoenix: NBC and Peacock, with the Rising Stars game exclusive to Peacock.
NBA Cup, Play-In and playoffs
| Event | Where it airs |
|---|---|
| NBA Cup group play (Oct. 30 to Nov. 27) | Spread across partners; Prime Video has five Friday doubleheaders |
| NBA Cup knockout rounds and final (Dec. 4 to 11) | Prime Video exclusive |
| Play-In Tournament | Prime Video exclusive (six games) |
| Playoffs, first two rounds | NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC and Prime Video |
| Conference Finals | Western Conference Finals on ESPN/ABC, Eastern Conference Finals on Prime Video |
| NBA Finals | ABC |
For deeper dives on the two newest partners, see our guides to the NBA on Amazon Prime and the NBA on Peacock.
Local and out-of-market games
Most of the 82 games your team plays are not national. They air on a regional sports network or local TV partner, and many teams now sell a direct streaming package. Check your team’s site for its local options in your ZIP code.
NBA League Pass covers games that are not on national TV and not in your local market. At the time of writing, League Pass costs around $109.99 for the season with ads and one device, and League Pass Premium is around $159.99 with no commercials, three devices and offline downloads. Nationally televised games become available on League Pass the next morning, and locally televised games are available after three days.
How the new deal changed things for viewers
If you last followed the NBA a few seasons ago, three changes matter most.
- TNT is gone. Turner’s long-running Thursday package and its playoff and conference finals rounds ended after 2024-25. Those games moved mainly to NBC and Prime Video.
- Streaming exclusives are normal now. Peacock’s Monday games and many Prime Video games do not air on any traditional channel you can get with an antenna or a basic cable plan, although NBCSN simulcasts the Peacock Monday games.
- Big events are split up. The NBA Cup knockout rounds and the Play-In are on Prime Video, All-Star is on NBC, Christmas and the Finals are on ABC and ESPN, and the conference finals are shared between ESPN/ABC and Prime Video.
For fans, that means checking each game’s network ahead of time, especially in December and April. The NBA app and team websites list the broadcaster for every game.
One app or several?
Following every national game means ESPN Unlimited, Peacock and Prime Video. A live TV service such as YouTube TV covers ABC, ESPN and NBC but not Prime Video or Peacock exclusives. If you also follow football, our guide on the cheapest way to watch ESPN may help you combine subscriptions, and our comparison of the best US live TV options for locals and sports shows which bundles carry ABC, ESPN, NBC and regional networks.
Some fans look at IPTV subscriptions as well. Our own plan, IPTV Journal, is $89 for 12 months. IPTV is a legal technology, but only licensed services can legally carry NBA games, so check what any provider is authorized to show in your area.
Which setup fits you?
- Local team fan: your regional network or team streaming package, plus an antenna for ABC and NBC.
- National game fan: Peacock and Prime Video cover more than 160 regular-season games between them; add ESPN for Wednesdays and Christmas.
- Out-of-market fan: League Pass, plus the national services your team appears on most.
FAQ
Is the NBA still on TNT in 2026-27?
No. TNT’s NBA deal ended after the 2024-25 season. The national partners are now ESPN and ABC, NBC and Peacock, and Prime Video.
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start?
The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with a tripleheader on NBC and Peacock. The regular season runs until April 11, 2027.
What channel are the 2027 NBA Finals on?
The NBA Finals air on ABC, which you can watch free with an antenna or stream through ESPN Unlimited and live TV services.
Where is the NBA on Christmas Day 2026?
ABC and ESPN have all five Christmas Day games, starting with Spurs at Knicks at noon ET.
Does NBA League Pass show my local team?
No. Local games are blacked out live on League Pass and become available three days later. Use your team’s regional network or streaming package for live local games.
Author
Get IPTV Journal: 12 months for $89
20,000+ live channels, sports, PPV, movies and series on every device.
