Quick answer: To watch the 2026-27 NBA season without cable, you need three streaming services for the national games: Peacock ($12.99 a month) for NBC and NBCSN, ESPN Unlimited ($31.99) for ESPN and ABC, and Prime Video ($8.99, or included with Prime) for Amazon’s games. A free TV antenna picks up ABC and NBC games. Your local team usually needs a separate team app or DAZN.
The regular season tipped off Oct. 20, 2026, and runs through April 11, 2027. Here’s who has what.
Where NBA games stream in 2026-27
| Service | Channels and games | Usual nights | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peacock | NBC, NBCSN – about 100 games | Mondays and Tuesdays; Sunday nights later in the season | $12.99/mo or $129.99/yr |
| ESPN Unlimited | ESPN, ABC – about 80 games | Usually Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays | $31.99/mo or $319.99/yr |
| Prime Video | About 66 games, plus NBA Cup group play and the Play-In | Fridays; Thursdays and some Saturdays from January | $8.99/mo alone, or with Prime ($14.99/mo or $139/yr) |
| NBA League Pass | Out-of-market games only | Every night | From $16.99/mo or $109.99/season |
| TV antenna | ABC and NBC games, plus some local team games | Varies | Free after a one-time purchase |
Game counts are from PCWorld’s 2026-27 guide. Prices are from NBC News, Yahoo Sports and each service, as of Oct. 23, 2026.
Step by step: build your NBA setup
- Find your local team’s channel. Check the team table below. Local games are not on Peacock, ESPN or Prime unless your team has a special deal.
- Get a free antenna first. It covers ABC and NBC national games and, in many cities, some local team games.
- Pick national services by the nights you watch. Monday or Tuesday fans need Peacock. Friday fans need Prime Video. ESPN fans need ESPN Unlimited or a live TV service.
- Add League Pass only if you follow an out-of-town team. It blacks out your local team and all national games.
- Compare against one live TV bundle. If you want everything in one app, YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV can be simpler.
What’s new this season
This is the second year of the NBA’s 11-year TV deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon. TNT no longer carries the NBA.
NBC’s new cable channel, NBCSN, carries games too. Everything on NBC and NBCSN also streams on Peacock.
The biggest change is local TV. PCWorld reports that the FanDuel Sports Networks have shut down. Many teams moved their local games to DAZN, team apps or free over-the-air stations.
Peacock: the most national games
Peacock streams about 100 games from NBC and NBCSN. That’s the largest national package.
Peacock Premium costs $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year. Premium Plus, with fewer ads, is $19.99 a month. Those prices took effect in August 2026.
Expect Monday games on NBCSN and Peacock, and Tuesday games on NBC. NBC’s Sunday night games return later in the season, Yahoo Sports reports.
Peacock is also the home for four teams’ local games, through paid add-ons. More on that below.
ESPN Unlimited: ESPN and ABC
ESPN Unlimited is the stand-alone app that includes the full ESPN cable channels. It costs $31.99 a month or $319.99 a year, after a September price increase.
If you also want Disney+ and Hulu, the bundle with ESPN Unlimited runs $35.99 a month. That’s only $4 more.
ABC games are free with an antenna. You don’t need ESPN for those.
Under the 11-year deal, ABC also holds the NBA Finals.
Prime Video: Friday nights and the Play-In
Amazon has about 66 regular-season games. Most are Friday doubleheaders. Starting in January, Thursday doubleheaders and some Saturday games are added.
Prime Video also has NBA Cup group-play games and the Play-In Tournament, set for April 13–16, 2027.
You can get Prime Video alone for $8.99 a month. Full Prime costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year and adds free shipping.
Also read: How to watch local channels without cable, our antenna setup guide.
What it costs: three sample setups
These are made-up examples to show the math, using prices as of Oct. 23, 2026.
| Fan type | Setup | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Casual fan | Antenna + Prime Video alone | About $8.99 |
| National-games fan | Antenna + Peacock + Prime Video + ESPN Unlimited | About $53.97 |
| Superfan of an out-of-town team | The national setup + League Pass | About $70.96 |
Take the casual fan. Say Dana in Ohio only watches Friday games. An antenna plus Prime Video covers that for under $10 a month. Add Peacock only when the Monday schedule gets good.
The national-games fan pays about $54 a month for three apps. That is still less than most live TV bundles. You can also pause apps between seasons.
Live TV services: everything in one place
A live TV service replaces cable. It’s simpler, but it costs more. PCWorld lists these options:
| Service | Base price | Has ABC, ESPN, NBC, NBCSN? |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | About $83/mo; Sports plan about $65 | Yes |
| Hulu + Live TV | About $99/mo | Yes |
| Fubo | About $89/mo plus regional fees; Sports plan about $65 | Yes |
| DirecTV | From about $95/mo; MySports about $65 | No NBCSN |
None of these include Prime Video’s games. You’ll still need Prime for Fridays.
See our full comparison: YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV vs Sling.
How to watch your local team
Local games are the trickiest part this season. Here is how some popular teams stream, according to PCWorld’s team-by-team list.
| Team | Local streaming option | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Peacock + NBC Sports Boston add-on | Peacock + $15/mo |
| Golden State Warriors | Peacock + NBC Sports Bay Area add-on | Peacock + $18/mo |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Peacock + NBC Sports Philadelphia add-on | Peacock + $25/mo |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Spectrum SportsNet+ | $20/mo |
| New York Knicks | MSG on DAZN | $30/mo |
| Chicago Bulls | CHSN app | $20/mo |
| Denver Nuggets | Altitude+; 20 games free over the air | $20/mo |
| Miami Heat | Local10+ Platinum app | Free |
| Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, San Antonio and others | DAZN team plans; some games free over the air | About $20/mo |
Several teams, including Dallas, Phoenix and Atlanta, also have local games on free TV stations. An antenna gets those.
Check your team’s website for the latest. Deals were still being announced into the season.
NBA League Pass: who it’s for
League Pass is for fans who follow a team in another city. Think a Celtics fan living in Texas.
It starts at $16.99 a month or $109.99 for the season. Premium, with no ads and more streams, is about $25 a month or $160 a season.
The catch: League Pass blacks out your local team and every national game on NBC, ESPN, ABC and Prime.
Which devices work
Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video all run on the main streaming devices. That includes Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV and most smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Vizio.
If your TV is more than five or six years old, its built-in apps may be slow or missing. A $30 to $50 streaming stick is usually the easy fix.
For live sports, a wired internet connection helps. If you can’t run a cable, put your router close to the TV. Most services recommend at least 25 Mbps for 4K streams.
You can also watch on a phone, tablet or laptop. Each app lets you sign in on several devices, but limits how many can stream at the same time.
Key 2026-27 dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct. 20, 2026 | Regular season opens |
| Dec. 11, 2026 | NBA Cup championship in Indianapolis |
| Feb. 11, 2027 | Trade deadline |
| Feb. 19–21, 2027 | All-Star Weekend in Phoenix |
| April 11, 2027 | Regular season ends |
| April 13–16, 2027 | Play-In Tournament on Prime Video |
Dates are from Yahoo Sports’ season guide.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying League Pass for your home team. Local games are blacked out.
- Forgetting Prime. No live TV service carries Amazon’s Friday games.
- Paying for ESPN to watch ABC. ABC is free with an antenna.
- Keeping every app all year. Cancel in the offseason and restart in October.
- Using DirecTV for Monday games. PCWorld reports it doesn’t carry NBCSN.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch the NBA for free?
Yes, partly. A TV antenna gets ABC and NBC games and, in some cities, local team games. Some teams, like the Miami Heat, also offer free apps.
What is the cheapest way to watch NBA games without cable?
An antenna plus one streaming app. Pick the app that matches the nights you watch: Peacock for Monday and Tuesday, Prime for Friday.
Is TNT still showing NBA games?
No. TNT’s NBA deal ended after the 2024-25 season. NBC, ESPN/ABC and Amazon now hold the national games.
Does YouTube TV have every NBA game?
No. It carries ABC, ESPN, NBC and NBCSN, but not Prime Video’s games. Local team coverage depends on your area.
Where will the 2027 NBA Finals air?
On ABC, which holds the Finals under the league’s current TV deal. You can watch with an antenna or ESPN Unlimited.
Bottom line
Start with a free antenna, then add only the apps that match the nights you watch. Peacock has the most national games, Prime owns Fridays, and ESPN Unlimited covers the rest. For your hometown team, check the team’s own app or DAZN before you pay for anything else.
Recommended products
- Indoor HDTV antenna – Free ABC and NBC games.
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K – Runs Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video.
- Fire TV Stick 4K – Easy pick for Prime members.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Nexgen Headlines earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability can change.
Last reviewed: Oct. 23, 2026
Sources: NBC News – How to watch the 2026-27 NBA season; Yahoo Sports – 2026-27 NBA season guide; PCWorld – NBA 2026-27 streaming guide; Droid Life – Peacock price increase; NewscastStudio – ESPN price increase; NBA League Pass.
