The NBA is launching into the 2025-26 season with a burst of fresh energy, new broadcast partners, a loaded Western Conference, a wide-open Eastern Conference, and a national TV schedule more packed than ever before. The league tips off on October 21 with NBC’s long-awaited return to NBA coverage after more than two decades, marking the start of a new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal that also brings Amazon Prime Video into the fold for the first time. ESPN and ABC will remain major pillars of the broadcast lineup, ensuring fans can watch games across a mix of traditional and streaming platforms.
This season will feature a record-breaking 247 national TV games, a steep increase from the 172 broadcast in 2024-25. Under the new arrangement, NBC will carry Tuesday night games and Sunday night matchups, while Peacock takes Monday nights. ESPN will own Wednesdays, Prime Video will broadcast Thursday games, and Friday nights will be split between Prime Video and ESPN. Saturdays will see afternoon games on Prime Video and primetime games on ABC, while Sundays will feature afternoon games on ABC before NBC closes the weekend with evening coverage. ESPN and ABC will retain coverage of the five Christmas Day matchups and the NBA Finals, while Prime Video will exclusively stream Friday night doubleheaders, the quarterfinals, semifinals and final of the NBA Cup, as well as all six Play-In Tournament games.
NBC and Peacock will open the season with two games on October 21 and also have coverage of the four Martin Luther King Jr. Day games. The networks will also take over NBA All-Star Weekend, broadcasting events including All-Star Saturday Night and the All-Star Game on February 15. In another scheduling shift, the NBA will play games on Election Day, November 4, breaking from its recent decision to leave the day without games to encourage voter participation.
Every NBA team will appear at least twice on national television this season, with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors leading the way with 34 national appearances each. The league has slightly reduced the number of back-to-back games, with an average of 14.4 per team compared to 14.9 last season. No team will have more than 16 back-to-backs, and certain marquee matchups, including Christmas Day games, Emirates NBA Cup contests, and high-profile weekend broadcasts, will be scheduled to avoid back-to-backs entirely.
The offseason player movement has also set the stage for several emotional homecomings. Khris Middleton, who was traded from Milwaukee to Washington last season, will return to play in Milwaukee for the first time since the deal on October 22. Kevin Durant, now a member of the Houston Rockets, will face his former Phoenix Suns team on November 24. Myles Turner will play in Indiana for the first time since leaving for Milwaukee on November 3. The Boston Celtics, champions in 2024, will host two former title-winning players in January, with Jrue Holiday returning as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers on January 26 and Kristaps Porziņģis visiting with the Atlanta Hawks on January 28. Michael Porter Jr., a key part of Denver’s 2023 title run, will return to face the Nuggets with the Brooklyn Nets on January 29, while Brook Lopez, another former Bucks champion, will be welcomed back to Milwaukee with the Los Angeles Clippers on March 29.
The 1,230-game regular season, running from October 21 through April 12, is packed with must-see matchups. Opening night will feature the Houston Rockets visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that could be an early preview of the Western Conference Finals. In the final week of the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers will travel to face the Golden State Warriors in a clash that could have significant playoff implications.
To make it easier for fans to keep up with the action, the NBA is introducing a new digital feature that will allow viewers to watch and stream games seamlessly through NBA.com, the NBA app, team platforms, and partner sites. With new broadcast partners, expanded coverage, and compelling storylines across both conferences, the 2025-26 season promises to be one of the most engaging in league history and for the first time in more than 20 years, fans will once again hear the familiar phrase: “It’s on NBC.”