The 2026-27 NBA viewing guide splits games among ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, NBC and Peacock, Prime Video, regional sports networks and DAZN. Fans face a patchwork of channels, subscriptions and blackouts. Some games air free over the air; others require pay-TV plans or streaming subscriptions. No single route covers every live broadcast.
Access, sorted by market
In-market viewers generally need their team’s regional sports network, or RSN. Some teams broadcast games free over the air; others require pay TV. The Knicks’ MSG Network and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Spectrum SportsNet reach only a select few providers, while most RSNs offer direct-to-consumer passes or subscriptions. Denver has Altitude+ for in-market viewers.
DAZN holds exclusive regional rights for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs. It’ll also carry online broadcasts for the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. That’s a lot of separate doors into one league. Where a fan lives and which service carries the game determine the route to watching.
Fans outside their home market can stream regional games with NBA League Pass. But League Pass blacks out national television games and in-market RSN broadcasts live. Local blackouts lift three days after the live broadcast; national games become available for replay at 6 a.m. the following day. League Pass offers different subscription tiers, too. Some replace commercials with in-arena features, including dancing fans and mascot performance art. Viewers can pick home or away feeds.
The schedule belongs to the networks
ABC and ESPN, under the Walt Disney Company, will combine for 80 regular-season game broadcasts. ABC holds exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. Saturday primetime games start in December, and Sunday doubleheaders begin at the end of February. The “NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC” premiere airs Saturday, Dec. 12, with the Knicks at the Miami Heat at 8:30 p.m. ABC and ESPN will carry five games on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25.
NBC and Peacock carry the season opener, All-Star Weekend and holiday quadruple-headers for MLK Day and Presidents Day. Peacock carries every NBC game, while Peacock exclusives require a subscription or NBCSN access for linear viewing. NBC airs free over the air; Peacock’s premium plan includes live sports, and some pay-TV packages include NBCSN. The guide says “Roundball Rock” and the “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” format return, with games on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Prime Video, the league’s newest broadcast partner, will carry the in-season NBA Cup elimination stages and championship, NBA Global Games in Paris and Manchester, England, and the Eastern Conference finals. You’ll need a Prime Video subscription to watch its games. Its schedule includes a Black Friday doubleheader Friday, Nov. 27, and the NBA Cup championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, Dec. 11.
A product divided into packages
NBA TV simulcasts the featured home team’s RSN broadcast and is available as a standalone channel and through the League Pass app. It’s included with League Pass and available through most pay-TV plans, though some plans may require a sports or premium package. National broadcasts generally follow a weekly schedule split across Peacock/NBCSN, NBC, ESPN, Prime Video, ABC and NBA TV.
The guide also lists the Knicks as defending champions and LeBron James with the Philadelphia 76ers. “Inside the NBA” began its first season on ABC and ESPN the prior year, after a long run with TNT Sports. Charles Barkley said he and anchor Ernie Johnson might retire after the 2026-27 season. The viewing guide maps the season’s games in detail. It also maps the layers of commercial access between fans and the live game.