The US NBA broadcast picture is a four-rights-holder arrangement: ESPN/ABC for the headline national windows, TNT for the Tuesday and Thursday doubleheaders, NBA League Pass for out-of-market and direct-to-fan streaming, and the regional sports networks (RSNs) for in-market local coverage.
A new rights cycle takes effect with the 2025-26 season: ESPN/ABC continues, NBC replaces TNT in the second national-window position, and Amazon Prime Video enters the package for the first time. The TNT-era arrangement described in earlier seasons is no longer in effect.
ESPN and ABC — the national-window package
ESPN carries the Wednesday-night doubleheader and the Saturday-night marquee primetime fixture across the regular season. ABC simulcasts approximately 20 Saturday-night fixtures each season as the headline free-to-air NBA broadcast. ESPN’s full national-window package is approximately 100 regular-season games plus the early-round playoffs.
ESPN coverage includes Christmas Day games (a five-game national slate), the All-Star Saturday and All-Star Sunday in February, and the bulk of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals in May-June. The NBA Finals are shared across ESPN/ABC in the new cycle, with ABC’s main-network broadcast as the showcase free-to-air finals window.
NBC and Peacock — the Tuesday and Thursday windows
NBC carries the Tuesday-night and Thursday-night doubleheaders starting with the 2025-26 season under the new rights cycle. The NBC games are simulcast on Peacock for streaming subscribers. The Tuesday-night doubleheader is typically a 7:30 PM ET East Coast fixture followed by a 10:00 PM ET West Coast fixture.
Amazon Prime Video — the Thursday alternative
Amazon Prime Video enters the NBA package in 2025-26, carrying a Thursday-night alternative-broadcast and a selection of headline regular-season fixtures. The Prime package is approximately 30-35 regular-season games plus a slice of the playoffs.
NBA League Pass — the out-of-market every-game option
NBA League Pass is the league’s direct subscription service. It offers every regular-season game live and on-demand, with US blackout rules: in-market games are blacked out and must be watched on the local RSN. League Pass at $14.99/month or $99/season is the every-game streaming option.
For a US fan whose team plays in a different market, NBA League Pass is the comprehensive option. For an in-market fan, NBA League Pass is supplemental to the local RSN subscription.
Regional Sports Networks — in-market local coverage
Each NBA team has an in-market regional sports network (RSN) that carries approximately 70-75 of the team’s 82 regular-season games. The RSN landscape has reshuffled significantly: Bally Sports (Diamond Sports) became FanDuel Sports Network in 2024-25, with several teams (Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks) launching direct-to-consumer streaming apps.
Examples:
- YES Network (Brooklyn Nets, also Yankees)
- MSG Network (New York Knicks)
- FanDuel Sports Network (multi-team RSN spanning Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Minnesota, Phoenix and others)
- NBC Sports California (Sacramento, Golden State)
Subscription cost reality
A US NBA fan’s standard setup: NBA League Pass ($14.99/month) + a streaming bundle that includes ESPN and NBC (YouTube TV $82.99/month, Hulu+Live $76.99/month, or fubo $79.99/month) covers the bulk of the league.
For an in-market fan, add the local RSN direct-to-consumer subscription where available, typically $19.99/month.
Useful editorial sources
- NFL US guide — the other Sunday-anchored sport
- Soccer US hub — the other major streaming subscription sport
- methstreams.video NBA guide — sister editorial coverage
- crackstreamsus.com NBA streaming guide — sister editorial coverage
The 2025-26 NBA regular season runs late October through mid-April. The 2026 NBA Playoffs run mid-April through mid-June. NBA Finals 2026 are scheduled for the first to third week of June.