The days of just flipping to TNT on a Tuesday night and seeing Ernie, Kenny, Shaq, and Chuck are officially over. If you're feeling a bit lost trying to figure out where the games went, honestly, you aren't alone. The NBA just completely blew up its broadcasting model starting with this 2025-26 season. It’s a $76 billion shift that basically turned our TV remotes into a scavenger hunt.
You’ve probably noticed the "Inside the NBA" crew moved to ESPN, and suddenly your Amazon Prime account is more than just for late-night impulse buys—it's now your Thursday night ticket. The map of where to watch has been redrawn.
The New Big Three: Where Can You Watch NBA Games Now?
For decades, we had a rhythm. ESPN/ABC and TNT. That was the deal. Now? It's a three-headed monster of Disney (ESPN), NBCUniversal (Peacock), and Amazon. If you’re looking for a specific game, you basically have to check what day of the week it is first.
Amazon Prime Video: The New Thursday Night Powerhouse
Once the NFL's Thursday Night Football wraps up in January, Amazon takes over the NBA's Thursday night slot. But they aren't just waiting for winter. They have a massive 66-game regular season slate.
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Basically, if it’s a high-stakes Friday night game or a Saturday afternoon matchup, there’s a good chance you’re opening the Prime Video app. They also snagged the exclusive rights to the Emirates NBA Cup (the In-Season Tournament) knockout rounds. If you want to see who lifts that trophy in Las Vegas, you need Prime.
The Return of "NBA on NBC" and Peacock
After 23 years, the iconic John Tesh "Roundball Rock" theme is back. NBC is back in the game, but it’s heavily weighted toward their streaming service, Peacock.
- Monday Nights: These are almost exclusively on Peacock.
- Tuesday Nights: You’ll find doubleheaders on NBC and Peacock.
- Sunday Nights: Once the NFL season ends, NBC takes over Sunday nights with a marquee game at 8 p.m. ET.
It’s worth noting that if a game is on the big NBC broadcast channel, it’s usually simulcast on Peacock. But those Monday night games? You kinda have to have the app.
The ESPN and ABC Stalwarts
Disney kept the crown jewel: the NBA Finals. That remains exclusive to ABC. They also have the biggest slice of the Christmas Day pie.
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But there’s a catch. ESPN launched its "Unlimited" direct-to-consumer service recently. While you can still watch games on the traditional ESPN cable channel, the "Unlimited" tier is where the digital-first fans are landing. Just don't confuse it with the old ESPN+; the new tier is what actually gives you the live NBA broadcasts without a cable log-in.
The League Pass Problem: Blackouts and Loopholes
If you live in Los Angeles and want to watch the Lakers, NBA League Pass is not your friend. This is the biggest point of confusion I see. League Pass is strictly for "out-of-market" games. It's for the Suns fan living in New York or the Celtics fan stuck in Miami. If the game is airing on your local Regional Sports Network (RSN) or on national TV (like NBC or ESPN), League Pass will black it out.
How League Pass works in 2026:
- Price: It’s roughly $109.99 for the season.
- Amazon Integration: Amazon is now the primary distributor. You can actually subscribe to League Pass through Prime Video, which honestly makes the interface way smoother than the clunky NBA App.
- The "Commercial-Free" Lie: If you pay for the Premium tier, you don't get commercials, but you do get the "In-Arena" feed. It's cool—you see the mascot tosses and the halftime shows—but some people find the silence or the loud stadium music a bit jarring.
What about local games?
Since the collapse of Bally Sports, things are a mess. Most teams have moved to the FanDuel Sports Network, while others, like the Suns and Blazers, have launched their own apps (Suns+ or BlazerVision). If you want your local team, you usually have to pay $15-$20 a month for their specific streaming app or have a cable package that includes that specific RSN.
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A Cheat Sheet for the 2025-26 Weekly Schedule
If you're wondering where can you watch nba games on any given night, here is the general flow of the season:
- Monday: Peacock (Exclusives)
- Tuesday: NBC / Peacock
- Wednesday: ESPN / ABC
- Thursday: Amazon Prime Video (Heavy focus after NFL season)
- Friday: Amazon Prime Video & ESPN
- Saturday: ABC (Primetime) & Amazon Prime Video
- Sunday: ABC (Afternoons) & NBC (Sundays nights later in the season)
Don't Forget the "Free" Options
You've still got the "rabbit ears" option. Since NBC and ABC are over-the-air broadcasters, a cheap $20 digital antenna can get you a surprising amount of basketball. You'll get the big Sunday showcases, the Christmas Day games, and of course, the Finals. It's the only way to watch the NBA for free legally, and the 4K-ish quality of a direct broadcast signal is often better than a compressed stream anyway.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Fan
Trying to buy every service will bankrupt you. Don't do it. Instead, audit your current subscriptions.
If you already have Amazon Prime for shipping, you're 30% of the way there. If you have a student email, check for the League Pass student discount—it’s usually significantly cheaper.
For the most "bang for your buck," wait until the Black Friday deals for Peacock. They almost always run a $1.99/month promotion. If you grab that in November, it carries you through the entire NBA regular season and playoffs for less than the price of a stadium beer.
Finally, if you're a die-hard fan of one specific out-of-market team, just get the NBA Team Pass. It’s cheaper than the full League Pass and cuts out the noise of the other 29 teams you don't care about. Just remember to check your zip code on the NBA website first to make sure you won't be blacked out.