The NBA is back for a monumental 2026-27 season, and thanks to an expansive new media deal, fans have more ways than ever to catch every thrilling moment! Whether you're tracking your favorite team from opening tip-off to the NBA Finals, this guide ensures you're always in the loop.
Key Schedule Highlights
- ABC/ESPN returns for its 25th straight NBA season with 80 regular-season games, including Christmas Day, the NBA Finals and Western Conference Finals.
- NBC/Peacock launches its NBA coverage with a historic season-opening tripleheader on October 20 and will air 100 regular-season games.
- Prime Video enters its second NBA season with 66 regular-season games, the NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, Play-In Tournament and Eastern Conference Finals.
- NBA League Pass remains the go-to option for games not carried nationally or available in a viewer’s local market.
- Fans can also use Tap to Watch through the NBA App and NBA.com to quickly find where each live game is available.
A New Era of NBA Viewing Continues
The 2026-27 NBA season marks the second year of the league’s new 11-year media agreements with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock), and Amazon (Prime Video).
The new broadcast era is already proving popular. During the first year of the deals, the 2025-26 NBA regular season reached 170 million viewers across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock and NBA TV — the league’s highest regular-season audience in 24 years.
With another season of major matchups ahead, fans will have more ways to follow the action from Opening Week through the NBA Finals.
NBC and Peacock: A Blockbuster Opening Night
NBC/Peacock will carry 100 regular-season games during the 2026-27 campaign, with its coverage beginning in spectacular fashion on October 20.
The season opens with the first-ever NBA season-opening tripleheader on NBC/Peacock. Boston faces Detroit in the afternoon before the defending champion New York Knicks celebrate their title at Madison Square Garden against LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
The night then closes with a rematch of the previous season’s seven-game Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Beyond opening night, NBC/Peacock will feature Holiday Hoops, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day quadrupleheaders, and 2027 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
NBC's Regular Weekly Schedule
- Monday: Peacock/NBC Sports Network
- Tuesday: NBC/Peacock
- Sunday: NBC/Peacock from January 24
Peacock will begin its NBA Monday coverage on October 26, while Coast 2 Coast Tuesday starts October 27 with doubleheaders. Sunday Night Basketball launches January 24.
ABC and ESPN: Christmas Day and the NBA Finals
ABC and ESPN enter their 25th consecutive season of NBA coverage with 80 regular-season games. Their Opening Week schedule immediately delivers several major storylines. On October 21, the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Miami Heat for the debuts of LaMelo Ball and Giannis Antetokounmpo with their new teams, before the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors.
The following night, LeBron James' new team, Philadelphia, hosts Cleveland, while Nikola Jokić and Denver visit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City in a showdown between the league’s two most recent Kia MVP winners.
ABC/ESPN will also carry the NBA on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Eve action and marquee Saturday and Sunday matchups. Most importantly, ESPN platforms remain the exclusive home of the NBA Finals on ABC and the 2027 Western Conference Finals, alongside first- and second-round playoff games.
Prime Video Brings More NBA Action
Prime Video begins its second NBA season on October 23, when the Boston Celtics host the defending champion Knicks, followed by the Houston Rockets visiting the Spurs in Austin. Amazon will stream 66 regular-season games, including NBA Cup action, before taking viewers through key postseason events.
Its biggest attractions include:
- NBA Cup Knockout Rounds and Championship Game
- NBA Global Games
- SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
- 2027 Eastern Conference Finals
Prime Video will also stream the NBA Paris Game 2027 on January 14 and the NBA Manchester Game 2027 on January 17, with the Spurs facing the New Orleans Pelicans in both games.
Must-Watch Prime Video Return Games
The schedule also sets up emotional homecomings, with Jaylen Brown returning to Boston on January 21 and Giannis Antetokounmpo returning to Milwaukee on January 28. Later, Ja Morant returns to Memphis on February 6, while fans will also get the first regular-season meeting between the top two picks of the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.
NBA League Pass Keeps Fans Covered
For games that aren't shown nationally or aren't available in a viewer's local market, NBA League Pass remains the primary option. The service will continue to offer out-of-market games through NBA.com and the NBA App, while Amazon serves as its primary third-party digital distributor.
The NBA is also bringing back Tap to Watch, a digital feature introduced during the 2025-26 season. It helps fans quickly find live national, local, international and League Pass broadcasts through the NBA App, NBA.com, team platforms and participating partner sites.
The 2026-27 NBA Schedule Has Something for Everyone
From LeBron's new-look 76ers and Giannis' return to Milwaukee to the Spurs' international trips and the NBA Cup, the 2026-27 schedule is loaded with storylines. Whether fans prefer ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video or NBA League Pass, the new media landscape offers plenty of ways to follow the league throughout the season.
