The 2026-27 NBA season’s national games will air on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, NBC and Peacock, and Prime Video, while teams’ regional sports networks keep their regional broadcasts. For viewers, access depends on location, provider and subscription. Games run across broadcast television, pay TV and streaming, and live blackouts limit some League Pass games.
Access Is Divided by Market
In-market viewers generally need their team’s regional sports network, or RSN. Some teams show games free over the air; others require pay TV. The New York Knicks’ MSG Network and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Spectrum SportsNet are available through only a select few providers, while most RSNs offer direct-to-consumer passes or subscriptions. Denver has Altitude+ for in-market viewers.
DAZN exclusively carries regional games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs. It will also stream online broadcasts for the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. The team and market determine where fans can watch, even as national games move among several major outlets.
Out-of-market viewers can stream regional games outside their home market with NBA League Pass. But national television games and in-market RSN broadcasts are blacked out live on the service. 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, and some replace commercials with in-arena features, including dancing fans and mascot performance art. Viewers can choose home or away feeds.
Networks and Platforms Set the Schedule
ABC and ESPN, under the Walt Disney Company, will combine for 80 regular-season broadcasts. ABC holds exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. Its Saturday primetime games start in December, and Sunday doubleheaders begin at the end of February. The schedule includes the “NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC” premiere on Dec. 12, with the Knicks at the Miami Heat at 8:30 p.m., and a five-game Christmas Day lineup on ABC/ESPN.
NBC and Peacock enter the second year of NBC’s NBA return. NBC will carry the season opener, All-Star Weekend and holiday quadruple-headers for MLK Day and Presidents Day. Peacock will stream all NBC games, while Peacock exclusives require a subscription or NBCSN access for linear viewing. NBC is free over the air; Peacock’s premium plan includes live sports, and NBCSN is included in some pay-TV packages.
Prime Video, the league’s newest broadcast partner, will carry NBA Cup elimination stages and championship, NBA Global Games in Paris and Manchester, England, and the Eastern Conference finals. A Prime Video subscription is required for its games. Its schedule includes the NBA Cup championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11 and the NBA Paris Game 2027 on Jan. 14.
Broadcast Rights, Blackouts and Changes
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 may require a sports or premium package. National broadcasts generally air on different networks on different nights, with Prime Video’s listed Thursday, Friday and Saturday coverage starting midseason.
“Inside the NBA” began its first season on ABC and ESPN the prior year, after its long run with TNT Sports. Charles Barkley said he and anchor Ernie Johnson might retire after the 2026-27 season. The guide also said Michael Jordan’s “special contributor” role appeared to have been dropped, citing Front Office Sports. The Western Conference finals are scheduled for May 2027, and the NBA Finals for June 2027.