The NBA officially returns for the 2025 to 2026 season, and the broadcast schedule is facing quite a shakeup. We’ve done the extra work for you and highlighted everything you need to know about how to watch NBA games, including the cheapest ways to live stream all games and which services you can probably do without.
Among the major changes for the new NBA season is the loss of NBA on TNT. For the first time in 36 years, NBA games won’t be broadcast on TNT on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are instead split between NBC (and Peacock) and Prime Video, which are also new to the NBA scene.
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How to watch NBA games in the US
The one constant is ABC and ESPN, which will broadcast games on Sundays and Wednesdays, respectively. Even if you have the most comprehensive cable package on the market, fans looking to watch all nationally broadcast games this year will still need to sign up for a couple of streaming services since Prime Video is in the mix, and Monday night games are only available through Peacock (not NBC).
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Confused? We get it. We’ve broken down all the essential details below, including the cheapest combination of streaming packages that will allow you to watch all nationally broadcast/streamed games in one place. We’ll also explain how NBA League Pass works (and why it might be worth skipping this year).
Nationally broadcast games from the 2025-2026 regular season will be available through ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video in the United States. NBC games will also be available on Peacock, but not all Peacock games (especially those on Monday) will air on NBC, so you’ll most likely need a streaming service even if you already have access to NBC. NBA TV doesn’t play a big role this year; instead, it will serve mainly as a highlight reel of key games, functioning a bit like NFL RedZone for the NBA. However, there will be a few stray games on NBA TV.
For cord-cutters, the cheapest way to live stream all nationally broadcast/streamed games isn’t through one live TV streaming service. Instead, you’ll want to subscribe to ESPN Unlimited ($30 a month) to access ABC and ESPN games, Peacock ($11 a month) to get NBC and Peacock games, and Prime Video ($9 a month) for games exclusive to that service. In total, that will run you $50 a month, making it more affordable than a live TV streaming package. Below, you can find a weekly schedule of nationally available games and the cheapest streaming counterpart for the broadcasts.
