The 2026–27 NBA season is almost here, and figuring out where to watch your favorite team can feel like a mini-draft of its own. With games spread across ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, Prime Video, and NBA League Pass, knowing where to tune in each night isn’t always straightforward.
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The good news? Every national broadcast has a designated streaming option. But local broadcast rights and blackout restrictions can still complicate things. Here’s your guide to the 2026–27 NBA broadcast schedule, streaming platforms, and where to watch games throughout the season.
Where can you watch NBA games live in the 2026 season?
Watching the NBA in 2026–27 means keeping track of several broadcasters. Disney’s ABC and ESPN, NBCUniversal’s NBC and Peacock, and Amazon’s Prime Video are the league’s three primary national media partners. This is the second season of their 11-year agreement, which runs through 2035–36.
NBA TV also carries select games, while NBA League Pass offers a way to follow games beyond the national broadcast schedule, subject to local restrictions and blackout rules. The biggest matchups are spread across the networks, with ABC/ESPN retaining the NBA Finals in the United States and other partners carrying designated playoff games.
The catch is that there’s no single viewing option for every fan. Your location, the game you want to watch, and your subscription will determine which service you need. Local broadcasts can also require a separate regional sports network or streaming option.
Which channels broadcast NBA games in the United States?
In the U.S., ABC and ESPN remain the traditional backbone of NBA coverage. Together, they’ll air 80 regular-season games this season, including Christmas Day coverage, while ESPN platforms also carry first- and second-round playoff games, the 2027 Western Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals on ABC.
NBC is back in a major way. Its national slate includes Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, Peacock NBA Monday, and Sunday Night Basketball, with games airing across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.
Prime Video continues building its NBA presence with Thursday and Friday night doubleheaders, plus Saturday afternoon games added later in the season. Amazon’s package gives the league a major streaming-first home for marquee regular-season matchups.
Where can you stream NBA games online in the United States?
Every national game has a streaming option, which is the best part of the current setup. ABC and ESPN games stream through the ESPN App, NBCUniversal games stream on Peacock, and Amazon games stream on Prime Video.
Peacock is especially important because all NBC games are available there, but Peacock-exclusive Monday games require a subscription or access to NBCSN for linear viewing. So if you only have basic cable, you may still miss a Monday-night matchup.
Prime Video requires an Amazon Prime subscription, while ESPN’s streaming access depends on the ESPN plan or TV package you use. The key distinction is that national games are broadly available, but local-market games often depend on regional sports networks or a team’s local broadcast partner.
For out-of-market fans, NBA League Pass is the simplest answer. But it is not a magic button that unlocks every live game in the U.S.
Does NBA League Pass show every game live?
Not in the United States, and that’s the detail that catches people off guard. NBA League Pass gives fans live access to out-of-market games, replays, condensed games, and on-demand viewing, but blackout rules still apply domestically.
In the U.S. and Canada, League Pass blackouts cover nationally televised or streamed games and in-market regional broadcasts. In other words, if the Knicks are on national TV and you live in the New York market, League Pass will not let you watch that game live.
There is a replay window, though. Local blackout games become available three days after the live broadcast, while national TV games can be replayed on League Pass at 6 a.m. ET the following day.
Outside the U.S. and Canada, the situation is much cleaner: the NBA says every game is available live with League Pass.
So if you are an international fan, League Pass is close to the all-access product people imagine. If you are in the U.S., think of it as an out-of-market package with important exceptions.
How can you find the NBA schedule for the 2026–27 season?
The NBA released the full 2026–27 regular-season schedule on August 13, 2026, with game dates, matchups, tip-off times, and national broadcast assignments. The season begins October 20 with an NBC and Peacock tripleheader, while the regular season concludes on April 11, 2027, with all 30 teams in action.
The schedule tells you when teams play and which network carries nationally televised games. However, local broadcast availability can vary by market, so it’s worth checking the listings for your specific game before tip-off.
NBA.com’s official schedule is the best starting point. You can also check ESPN, NBC Sports, Prime Video, and NBA League Pass to find broadcast and streaming options. The NBA App’s Tap to Watch feature can help fans find available game broadcasts, both local and international.
With games spread across multiple platforms, checking the schedule and broadcaster in advance is the easiest way to avoid missing tip-off.