The NBA’s broadcast tangle is simpler than the NFL but more annoying than MLS. National TV games (TNT and ESPN) are the centerpiece of the marquee schedule. NBA League Pass at $99.99 a season ($14.99/month) gets every other game live, with one big asterisk: blackouts on national-TV games and your local team’s local broadcasts.
The new media-rights cycle starts 2025-26. Disney (ESPN/ABC) keeps a chunk. Amazon Prime Video joins the rotation as a third partner. NBC/Peacock returns to the NBA package after a 22-year absence. TNT’s role is reduced. The full re-shuffle is the biggest change to NBA broadcasting in a generation.
Where the games are
National TV doubleheaders — Tuesday and Thursday on TNT (or whatever the rebranded TBS Sports channel ends up called by mid-season). ESPN/ABC takes Wednesday, Friday, and the Sunday afternoon windows. NBC/Peacock takes Sunday primetime and a chunk of the Saturday night marquee slate. Amazon Prime gets a Friday night slot and select playoff games.
Local team broadcasts — Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) like Bally Sports, NBC Sports California, MSG Network. These are dying. About half the league’s teams are mid-transition to direct-to-consumer streaming on the team’s own app, an MLB-style move. Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, and Heat have all rolled out direct local-streaming options.
NBA League Pass — $99.99 for the season standalone, $14.99 monthly. Every game live except blackouts. Single-team package for $109.99 a year. The “premium” tier ($129.99/year) adds in-arena audio, condensed games, and the multi-game watch. Blackouts apply: nationally televised games and your local team’s local broadcasts.
International — League Pass is identical worldwide except blackouts vary by region. The US blackout map is the most restrictive.
What the new deal changes
Amazon Prime is in. Friday night NBA on Amazon launches the 2025-26 season. The pivot mirrors what Amazon did with Thursday Night Football — exclusive package, Prime subscription required, $14.99/month for Prime.
NBC/Peacock is back. The Sunday primetime NBA slot returns to NBC after the league moved entirely to TNT and ESPN in 2002. Peacock streams it. NBC airs it over the air. The studio show is “NBA on NBC” with the original Marv Albert era’s broadcast brand revived.
TNT is reduced. Tuesday and Thursday doubleheaders survive but the league dropped TNT’s playoff and Finals package. Inside the NBA (Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson) hangs on as a Tuesday/Thursday studio show but its long-term future is the open question of the 2025-26 season.
The blackout problem
Every NBA League Pass subscriber hits the blackout wall the first time they try to watch their local team. If you live in the Lakers’ market and you subscribe to League Pass, you cannot watch Lakers home games on League Pass. The local RSN (Spectrum SportsNet LA, or the Lakers’ direct-to-consumer app) is the only legal route. Same for every other team — the local market is blacked out on the national League Pass package.
The fix: live in a different city than your favorite team. Or buy the team’s direct local-streaming app on top of League Pass. Or use a VPN to a different US state to bypass blackouts (technically violates ToS).
Cost summary
National games only, the cable bundle or streaming-cable package: $50-80/month for the cable channels.
League Pass for non-national games: $99.99 for the season standalone, plus the cable for nationally televised matches.
Hardcore single-team focus: League Pass single-team ($109.99) plus the team’s local-streaming app (varies, $20-40/month) plus the cable bundle for nationals.
Combined hardcore NBA: $130-180 a month at peak. The casual fan who watches a few national games a week pays $50-80.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch every NBA game? Yes, but it’s expensive. NBA League Pass + cable bundle (or streaming-cable) + local team app + Amazon Prime + Peacock. Roughly $150-200/month combined.
What’s the cheapest way to watch the NBA? Free over-the-air: the games on ABC and NBC. Add Peacock at $7.99/month for the rest of NBC’s coverage. That’s the cheapest legal route for primetime games. Out-of-market full slate requires League Pass at $99.99.
Do League Pass blackouts ever go away? The blackouts only lift if the game isn’t nationally televised AND your local team isn’t playing in your local market. Most nights, that’s most games. Blackouts only hit specific high-profile windows.
Where will the NBA Finals air? ABC for the foreseeable future. ABC has the Finals contract through the new cycle. ESPN simulcasts.
What’s happening to TNT’s NBA package? TNT keeps the Tuesday/Thursday doubleheader windows in 2025-26 but lost the playoffs and Finals. The Inside the NBA studio show survives in some form but its long-term future is uncertain.
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