The top NBA streaming offers at a glance:
Best for ESPN and ABC contests
– ESPN Unlimited annual plan: $299.99/year (save $59.89)
– [Get Deal](https://zdcs.link/9214nE)
Best for NBC and Peacock contests
– Peacock Premium annual plan: $109.99/year (save $21.89)
– [Get Deal](https://zdcs.link/aXWY5e)
Best for Prime Video contests
– Prime Video only: $8.99/month (save $6/month versus Prime subscription)
– [Get Deal](https://zdcs.link/a5YveL)
Best for out-of-market contests
– NBA League Pass: starting at $16.99/month
– [Get Deal](https://zdcs.link/zjGXVM)
For the first time in more than twenty years, the NBA has new broadcasting partners. This means that, similar to other sports leagues, watching games is about to become even more intricate.
A new NBA season is on the horizon, and whether you currently have cable or not, you’ll need one or two streaming services to follow the live action. With regional sports networks, blackout games, and national broadcasts to consider, there’s a lot to unpack. Get ready, basketball enthusiasts. Here’s your guide to watching the 2025-2026 NBA season, featuring all of the premier streaming offers.
When does the 2025-2026 NBA season commence?
The NBA season officially begins on Oct. 21 with a prime-time doubleheader — Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers. The 82-game regular season concludes on April 12, 2025.
Which channels do I require to watch live NBA games this season?
The NBA’s enduring contract with TNT has officially ended. This season, you’ll need NBC instead. After 23 long years, the league established a new agreement with NBC — the network and its streaming counterpart, Peacock, will show up to 100 regular season games on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. It has been 8,532 days since NBC’s last NBA broadcast and the 2025-2026 season opener. In addition to the games aired on NBC, there will also be several matches exclusively streamed on Peacock.
In addition to NBC, the NBA has formed a significant partnership with Amazon this season. For the first time, Prime Video is including basketball in its schedule. It was only a matter of time, honestly. Prime Video will provide exclusive global coverage for 66 regular season games, alongside a new Black Friday NBA game, all games from the knockout rounds of this year’s NBA Cup, the play-in tournament, and selected playoff games.
Alongside NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video, you will also need ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and, as in previous years, your regional sports network. Here’s a summary of the general TV schedule for national broadcasts:
– Sunday — ABC/ESPN and NBC/Peacock
– Monday — Peacock
– Tuesday — NBC/Peacock
– Wednesday — ESPN
– Thursday — Prime Video
– Friday — Prime Video and ESPN
– Saturday — ABC/ESPN and Prime Video
How to view NBA games this season without cable
National broadcasts
This season, there will be 247 national broadcasts, featuring games on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video, compared to 172 from last season. As mentioned earlier, even if you have cable, you will still need Peacock and Prime Video to watch those exclusive games. No cable? No problem. Peacock provides NBC broadcasts as well as Peacock exclusives, and ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service includes ESPN and ABC broadcasts. You can catch nearly 250 games this season solely with Peacock, ESPN Unlimited, and Prime Video.
Local broadcasts
Unfortunately, national broadcasts cover only a small portion of the entire lineup of games. Most contests are shown locally through regional sports networks (RSNs). For these contests, it will largely depend on whether the team you wish to watch is in-market or out-of-market.
In-market games:
To watch in-market games, you’ll need access to your local RSN. Many of these networks (though not all) provide their own streaming subscriptions, such as FanDuel Sports Network, Monumental Sports Network, or Gotham Sports. If you’re uncertain which RSN you need to follow your local team, you can refer to the FAQs below.
The most straightforward way to access these RSNs is through their individual subscription options, but not every RSN has its own streaming service. For those that don’t, you’ll require a cable alternative like Fubo or DirecTV Stream, which can be quite expensive.
Out-of-market games:
If you’re a supporter of an out-of-market team