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    Explainer

    How to watch the NBA in 2026-27: channels, streaming and League Pass

    In the US, national NBA games in 2026-27 are split between ABC/ESPN (80 regular-season games), NBC/Peacock (100) and Prime Video (66), and every national game streams on the ESPN App, Peacock or Prime Video.[1][2] NBA League Pass covers out-of-market games that are not on a national platform.[3] As of 5 October 2026, Yahoo Sports listed League Pass from $16.99 a month and ESPN Unlimited at $31.99 a month.[4][5]

    Editor reviewedUpdated ExplainerSports

    This guide explains the official ways to watch the national-basketball-association in the United States during the 2026-27 season. The season is the second year of the league’s 11-year deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video).[6]

    How this guide works: ContentLora does no hands-on testing. We did not subscribe to or try any of these services for this guide. We compare the league’s published broadcast plan with dated prices reported by Yahoo Sports, and cite every claim.[6][5] Prices change often and vary by region, so check each provider before buying. We do not include unofficial streams.

    Who shows what

    PartnerRegular-season gamesStreams onPostseason highlights
    ABC/ESPN80[1]ESPN App[2]NBA Finals (ABC), 2027 West finals[7]
    NBC/Peacock100[1]Peacock[2]Opening night tripleheader[8]
    Prime Video66, including NBA Cup knockouts[1]Prime Video[2]All six Play-In games, 2027 East finals[7]

    If you want the big national games, you need access to three groups: ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video. Every national game is on one of their streaming services.[2] Out-of-market games that no national partner shows are on NBA League Pass, which does not include games in your local market.[3]

    The weekly pattern is fairly fixed. Monday is Peacock, Tuesday NBC/Peacock, Wednesday ESPN, Thursday Prime Video and Friday Prime Video and ESPN. Saturday afternoons are on Prime Video and nights on ABC, and Sundays split between ABC and NBC/Peacock.[9] Some of these windows start only at midseason. NBA.com’s Tap to Watch feature links from the NBA App and NBA.com to wherever a live game is showing.[10]

    NBA League Pass

    League Pass shows games that are not on a national platform or in your local market. It is sold through the NBA App and NBA.com, through cable and satellite providers, and through Amazon as its main third-party digital seller.[3] As of 5 October 2026, Yahoo Sports listed League Pass as starting at $16.99 a month.[4] We could not confirm 2026-27 US season-long prices from the NBA’s own site, which showed regional pricing to us. Check the price on NBA.com for your location.

    Good fit: fans of a team based in another market. Think twice: fans who mainly want national games or their local team, which League Pass does not cover.[3]

    Dated prices we could verify

    ServiceWhat it coversPrice (as of 5 Oct 2026)
    ESPN UnlimitedESPN streaming plan; ABC/ESPN games stream on the ESPN App[2]$31.99/month or $319.99/year[5]
    NBA League PassOut-of-market games not on national TV[3]From $16.99/month[4]

    We have not listed Peacock or Prime Video prices because we could not confirm current figures from a dated, citable source when writing. Both services carry their own NBA games.[2]

    Preseason and key broadcast dates

    National preseason games air on NBA TV, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC and NBCSN.[11] Key national dates in 2026-27:

    DateGame or eventWhere
    20 Oct 2026Opening night tripleheaderNBC/Peacock[8]
    30 Oct 2026NBA Cup group play beginsPrime Video[12]
    25 Dec 2026Five Christmas gamesABC/ESPN[13]
    14 and 17 Jan 2027Spurs vs. Pelicans in Paris and ManchesterPrime Video[14]
    13-16 Apr 2027Play-In TournamentPrime Video[15][7]

    For how the Play-In and NBA Cup work, see How the NBA season works.[16]

    Sports

    National Basketball Association (NBA)

    The NBA: its 30 teams, 82-game season, NBA Cup, Play-In and playoffs, its 11-year TV deals and the 2026-27 season, as of October 2026.

    Questions readers ask

    What channel is NBA opening night on?

    All three opening-night games on 20 October 2026 are on NBC and Peacock.[8]

    Which streaming services do I need to watch every national NBA game?

    National games stream on the ESPN App (ABC/ESPN games), Peacock (NBC games) and Prime Video (Amazon games).[2]

    Does NBA League Pass show every game?

    No. League Pass carries games that are not on a national platform and not in your local market.[3]

    How much does NBA League Pass cost?

    As of 5 October 2026, Yahoo Sports listed League Pass as starting at $16.99 a month. Check the NBA's official page for current prices.[4]

    Where can I watch the NBA Cup knockout rounds and the Play-In?

    Prime Video has the NBA Cup knockout rounds and all six Play-In games in 2026-27.[1][7]

    Where are the 2027 NBA Finals?

    The NBA Finals air on ABC.[7]

    Sources

    · 16 claims from 2 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      In 2026-27 ABC/ESPN will show 80 regular-season games, NBC/Peacock 100 and Prime Video 66. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    2. [2]

      Every national NBA game is available on a streaming service, the ESPN App for ABC/ESPN games, Peacock for NBCUniversal games and Prime Video for Amazon games. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    3. [3]

      NBA League Pass carries games not on a national platform or in the viewer's local market; it is sold through the NBA App and NBA.com, pay-TV distributors and Amazon. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    4. [4]

      As of 5 October 2026, Yahoo Sports listed NBA League Pass as starting at $16.99 a month. reportedas of 2026-10-05

    5. [5]

      As of 5 October 2026, Yahoo Sports listed ESPN Unlimited at $31.99 a month or $319.99 a year. reportedas of 2026-10-05

    6. [6]

      The 2026-27 season is the second of the NBA's 11-year media agreements with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    7. [7]

      For 2026-27, ABC has the NBA Finals and ESPN platforms the 2027 Western Conference finals, while Prime Video has all six Play-In games and the 2027 Eastern Conference finals. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    8. [8]

      The 2026-27 NBA regular season starts on 20 October 2026 with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader of Celtics vs. Pistons, 76ers vs. Knicks and Thunder vs. Spurs. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    9. [9]

      National NBA games in 2026-27 generally air Mondays on Peacock, Tuesdays on NBC/Peacock, Wednesdays on ESPN, Thursdays on Prime Video, Fridays on Prime Video and ESPN, Saturdays on Prime Video and ABC, and Sundays on ABC and NBC/Peacock. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    10. [10]

      The NBA's Tap to Watch feature links fans from the NBA App, NBA.com and partner sites to wherever a live game is being shown. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    11. [11]

      Nationally televised 2026 NBA preseason games air on NBA TV, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC and NBCSN. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    12. [12]

      NBA Cup 2026 group play tips off on 30 October 2026 on Prime Video. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    13. [13]

      The NBA's five Christmas Day 2026 games on ABC/ESPN include Spurs vs. Knicks, Heat vs. Celtics, 76ers vs. Lakers, Thunder vs. Timberwolves and Nuggets vs. Warriors. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    14. [14]

      The Spurs and Pelicans are scheduled to play regular-season games in Paris on 14 January 2027 and Manchester on 17 January 2027, both on Prime Video, and the Nuggets play the Pacers in Mexico City on 7 November 2026. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    15. [15]

      The 2026-27 NBA regular season ends on 11 April 2027, the Play-In Tournament runs 13-16 April and the playoffs begin on 17 April 2027. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    16. [16]

      Teams finishing 1st to 6th in each conference go straight to the playoffs; teams 7th to 10th enter the Play-In Tournament for the 7th and 8th seeds. confirmedas of 2026-04-18

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Nov 11, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "How to watch the NBA in 2026-27: channels, streaming and League Pass." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/explain/how-to-watch-nba-2026-27

    Spotted an error? Suggest a correction or emailcorrections@contentlora.com.

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