How to watch the 2026-27 NBA season, and what it costs
Updated October 21, 2026. US only, before tax. Every price comes from the provider's own page, and every schedule fact from NBA.com or the NBA's press site. Each row shows when we checked it. If something isn't on an official page, we mark it unconfirmed instead of guessing.
Before you buy League Pass: blackouts
NBA's help center says: "In the United States, blackouts include local NBA team games and all nationally broadcast games." So League Pass won't show your local team live, or any game on ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock or Prime Video.
- Replays: local games are available "3 days after the live broadcast concludes," and national games at "6:00am ET the following day."
- Big events: in the US, the NBA Cup Semi-Final and Final, All-Star Weekend events, the Playoffs and the Finals aren't available live on League Pass.
- Your location: blackouts follow your device's location (IP address or location services). NBA.com's League Pass page has a ZIP code checker for your local teams.
Source: NBA Help Center: blackout guide, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:08 UTC.
Tip-off: Tuesday, Oct 20
- Tue Oct 20, NBC/Peacock tripleheader: Celtics at Pistons 3 p.m. ET, 76ers at Knicks 7 p.m. ET, Thunder at Spurs 9:30 p.m. ET.
- Wed Oct 21, first ESPN night: Timberwolves at Heat 7:30 p.m. ET, Warriors at Lakers 10 p.m. ET.
- Fri Oct 23, first Prime Video night: Knicks at Celtics 7 p.m. ET, Rockets at Spurs 9:30 p.m. ET.
- Peacock NBA Monday starts Oct 26; Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC/Peacock starts Oct 27.
- Last day of the regular season: Sunday, April 11, 2027.
Source: NBA Communications (pr.nba.com), checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC; NBA.com: how to watch 2026-27, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC.
Who has national games, and how many
This is the second season of the NBA's 11-year deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). NBA.com says "every national game will be available on broadly distributed streaming services – the ESPN App for all ABC/ESPN games, Peacock for all NBCUniversal games and Prime Video for all Amazon games."
| Partner | Regular-season games | Stream it on | Also has |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC/ESPN | 80 | ESPN's streaming service (ESPN App) | Five Christmas Day games; the NBA Finals on ABC; the 2027 Western Conference Finals |
| NBC/Peacock | 100 | Peacock (Monday games also on NBCSN) | All-Star 2027; Holiday Hoops; MLK Day and Presidents' Day quadrupleheaders |
| Prime Video | 66 (Amazon says 67) | Prime Video | NBA Cup Knockout Rounds and the Championship (Dec 11); all six Play-In games; the 2027 Eastern Conference Finals |
Game counts from NBA.com: how to watch 2026-27, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC. Amazon says 67: its newsroom says "Prime Video streams 67 games during the regular season, including the Emirates NBA Cup Championship" (Amazon newsroom (aboutamazon.com), checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). We use the NBA's count in the table.
Which night is on which service
| Night | National games |
|---|---|
| Monday | Peacock/NBCSN (from Oct 26) |
| Tuesday | NBC/Peacock (Coast 2 Coast Tuesday from Oct 27) |
| Wednesday | ESPN doubleheaders |
| Thursday | Prime Video doubleheaders, starting in January |
| Friday | Prime Video all season; ESPN adds select Friday doubleheaders starting in January |
| Saturday | ESPN/ABC at night (NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC from Dec 12); select Prime Video afternoon games starting in February |
| Sunday | NBC/Peacock at night (from Jan 24); select ABC afternoon doubleheaders in February and March |
From NBA.com: how to watch 2026-27 and NBA Communications (pr.nba.com), checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC and Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC. Holidays and special events can move games.
NBA streaming prices at a glance
All prices checked Oct 21, 2026; times are UTC.
| Service | Plan | US price | NBA games it carries | Official source (checked) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA League Pass | League Pass (1 device, with commercials) | $109.99 a season, or $16.99 a month | Out-of-market games that aren't on national TV. Blackouts apply (see above). | NBA.com League Pass (20:04 UTC) |
| NBA League Pass | League Pass Premium (up to 3 devices, no commercials, downloads) | $159.99 a season, or $24.99 a month | Same games as League Pass, with in-arena streams during breaks. Blackouts apply. | NBA.com League Pass (20:04 UTC) |
| NBA League Pass | Team Pass (one out-of-market team) | $13.99 a month | One team's out-of-market games. Blackouts apply. | NBA.com League Pass (20:04 UTC) |
| NBA League Pass | NBA TV only | $8.99 a month | NBA TV games and shows | NBA.com League Pass (20:04 UTC) |
| NBA League Pass | League Pass Audio | $9.99. Unconfirmed: billing period (not shown on the page) | Audio only. NBA describes it as "no blackouts." | NBA.com League Pass (20:04 UTC) |
| Peacock | Premium (with ads) | $12.99 a month, or $129.99 a year | All NBC/Peacock games, including Peacock NBA Monday | Peacock NBA page (20:04 UTC) |
| Peacock | Premium Plus | $19.99 a month, or $199.99 a year | Same NBA games as Premium | Peacock NBA page (20:04 UTC) |
| ESPN | ESPN Unlimited | $31.99 a month, or $319.99 a year | All ABC/ESPN games (ESPN lists "NBA and WNBA" on Unlimited) | ESPN Fan Support (20:04 UTC) |
| ESPN | Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle | Starting at $35.99 a month | Same NBA games as ESPN Unlimited | plus.espn.com (20:04 UTC) |
| Prime Video | Prime membership (Prime Video included) | $14.99 a month, or $139 a year | All Prime Video NBA games | Amazon newsroom (aboutamazon.com) (20:04 UTC) |
List prices for signing up directly, before tax. These are regular prices, not deals. Prices through TV providers or app stores may differ. Links are plain links, not affiliate links.
NBA League Pass explained
League Pass carries "all games that are not available on a national platform or in a user's local market" (NBA.com: how to watch 2026-27). On NBA.com, the season plans are League Pass at $109.99 and League Pass Premium at $159.99, marked "Prepay and save" (checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). The monthly plans are $16.99 and $24.99, marked "Cancel anytime" (checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). NBA.com says monthly subscribers can cancel at any time, effective at the end of the billing cycle, and season-long subscriptions auto-renew before the next season, with an email 30 days before the charge.
If you follow one out-of-market team, Team Pass is $13.99 a month. NBA TV alone is $8.99 a month, and League Pass Audio is $9.99 (Unconfirmed: its billing period). NBA.com says every League Pass subscription "includes access to live radio broadcasts of all NBA games."
Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video
Peacock: Premium is $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year, and Premium Plus $19.99 or $199.99 (Peacock NBA page, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). Peacock's NBA page says Peacock NBA Mondays are exclusive to Peacock, with "approximately 40 regular-season games." Peacock says "eligible college/university students can get 12 months of Peacock at $6.99/mo instead of the current rate of $12.99/mo" (checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). Peacock's help center says these prices took effect August 18, 2026, for new and returning subscribers (Peacock Help Center, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). Unconfirmed: whether Peacock Select ($8.99 a month) includes NBA games; Peacock's NBA page offers only Premium and Premium Plus.
ESPN: ESPN Unlimited is $31.99 a month or $319.99 a year (ESPN Fan Support, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC), and the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle starts at $35.99 a month (plus.espn.com, checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). ESPN lists "NBA and WNBA" under Unlimited and says "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only," so we don't list Select as a way to watch the NBA.
WNBA Finals: the 2026 WNBA Finals aren't on ESPN or ABC. Every game is on NBC or USA Network and streams on Peacock; see how to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals.
World Series: the 2026 World Series (Rays vs. Brewers) starts Friday, Oct 23, and every game is at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. You can watch it over the air with an antenna or stream it on FOX One; see how to watch the 2026 World Series.
Monday Night Football: ESPN Unlimited also carries Monday Night Football, and four of the remaining Monday games are on ABC too (Oct 26, Nov 9, Dec 7, Dec 21, per ESPN's schedule on Oct 22, 2026). See how to watch Monday Night Football 2026.
Prime Video: Amazon's newsroom says "Prime Video is included with a Prime membership, which costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year," and that Amazon offers discounted memberships "at only 50% of the cost for young adults and qualifying government assistance recipients" (Amazon newsroom (aboutamazon.com), checked Oct 21, 2026, 20:04 UTC). Unconfirmed: a standalone Prime Video price; it isn't on the pages we checked.
ABC, NBC and NBCSN: ABC and NBC are broadcast networks. Whether you can get them free with an antenna depends on where you live, and we can't confirm that for your area. NBCSN is a pay-TV channel that also carries the Peacock-exclusive games; check with your TV provider.
Cheapest way to watch
By list price only, from the official pages above:
- NBC/Peacock games: Peacock Premium, $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year. Eligible students: $6.99 a month for 12 months, per Peacock.
- Prime Video games: included with Prime, $14.99 a month or $139 a year.
- ABC/ESPN games: ESPN Unlimited, $31.99 a month or $319.99 a year. The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle starts at $35.99 a month.
- All three national streamers: $12.99 + $14.99 + $31.99 = $59.97 a month, or $129.99 + $139 + $319.99 = $588.98 a year on annual plans.
- Out-of-market games: League Pass, $16.99 a month or $109.99 a season; Premium, $24.99 a month or $159.99 a season; one team, Team Pass at $13.99 a month. National and local games are blacked out live.
- Free: ABC and NBC games air on broadcast TV, if you can receive those stations where you live.
We only list a free trial if the provider's own page shows one for new customers; see the trials we've checked on our free trials page. Discounted gift cards, checked against face value, can help when they come up. If your other streaming bills went up this year, see streaming price increases 2026.
Black Friday
NBA on Prime has a Black Friday doubleheader on Nov 27: Heat at Knicks (7 p.m. ET) and Lakers at Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET) (NBA Communications (pr.nba.com)). We don't predict Black Friday League Pass prices; none was announced on the NBA.com pages we checked. For store sale dates, see Black Friday 2026 dates, and for checked price drops, set up alerts.
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FAQ
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start?
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader: Celtics at Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers at Knicks (7 p.m. ET) and Thunder at Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET). The regular season ends Sunday, April 11, 2027, per the NBA.
What channels have NBA games this season?
The NBA's national partners are ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock (with NBCSN) and Prime Video. NBA.com says ABC/ESPN will broadcast 80 regular-season games, NBC/Peacock 100 and Prime Video 66. Amazon says 67 Prime Video regular-season games, including the Emirates NBA Cup Championship. Other games are on local TV in each team's market and on NBA League Pass outside it.
Is the NBA on Peacock, and which plan do I need?
Yes. NBA.com says Peacock carries all NBCUniversal games, and Peacock's NBA page offers Premium ($12.99 a month or $129.99 a year) and Premium Plus ($19.99 a month or $199.99 a year). Peacock says eligible college/university students can get 12 months at $6.99 a month. We couldn't confirm on an official page whether Peacock Select includes NBA games.
Does ESPN Unlimited include the NBA?
Yes. ESPN lists NBA and WNBA under ESPN Unlimited ($31.99 a month or $319.99 a year), and NBA.com says all ABC/ESPN games will be on ESPN's direct-to-consumer service. ESPN says ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only, so we don't list Select as an NBA option.
How much is NBA League Pass for 2026-27?
On NBA.com, League Pass is $109.99 a season or $16.99 a month, and League Pass Premium is $159.99 a season or $24.99 a month. Team Pass is $13.99 a month and NBA TV is $8.99 a month. Prices checked October 21, 2026.
Does League Pass include national games?
No, not live. NBA's help center says US blackouts include local team games and all nationally broadcast games. National games are available on League Pass at 6:00 a.m. ET the next day, and local games 3 days after the live broadcast.
Is the NBA Cup final on Prime Video?
Yes. The NBA says Prime Video will stream the Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, ending with the Championship on Friday, December 11, 2026.