The 2024 banner pulled the Celtics back to the front of the NBA’s national broadcast slate, and the audience hasn’t drifted. Boston’s a banner-counting town. The seventeenth title under Joe Mazzulla turned a competitive young team into the league’s marquee draw, and the broadcast schedule reflects that — the Celtics get more national windows than any team outside Los Angeles in the post-2024 NBA media split. The bar at any half-decent Boston sports tavern fills up by tipoff for any Tuesday or Thursday national game; the Garden home matches against the Lakers, Heat, or 76ers turn into double-headers when the late game’s an Eastern Conference rival.
Local rights belong to NBC Sports Boston, the regional sports network that’s covered the Celtics since the 1980s. Cable subscription required — the Comcast Xfinity tier, the YouTube TV regional add-on (when available), or the standalone NBC Sports Boston direct-to-consumer streamer at $24.99 a month for in-market viewers. National doubleheaders pull the broadcast over to ESPN or TNT through 2024-25, and to ESPN, NBC Peacock, or Amazon Prime Video starting 2025-26 under the new league deal.
For live football fixtures see the Premier League guide. Celtics basketball coverage doesn’t include the soccer fixture widget.
Where every Celtics game streams stateside
Local market (New England) — NBC Sports Boston. Cable subscription via Comcast Xfinity, RCN, or another regional carrier. The standalone DTC streamer is $24.99 a month for in-market viewers. YouTube TV’s regional sports network coverage is patchy in the Boston DMA.
National TV doubleheaders — ESPN (Wednesday, Friday through 2024-25), TNT (Tuesday, Thursday through 2024-25). Starting 2025-26: ESPN/ABC, NBC Peacock (Sunday and Tuesday primetime), Amazon Prime Video (Friday and Saturday).
ABC Saturday primetime and Christmas Day — Free over the air. The Celtics typically draw the headline Saturday slot two or three times a season, plus the Christmas Day window if the matchup’s marquee.
NBA League Pass ($14.99 a month or $99.99 for the season. Out-of-market only) Celtics games are blacked out on League Pass within the New England DMA during the local NBC Sports Boston broadcast window.
Celtics Pass (single-team League Pass) — $19.99 a month for Celtics-only out-of-market. Useful for transplants in NYC, LA, or Chicago.
Playoffs — Through 2024-25: TNT and ABC for the early rounds, ABC for the Finals. Starting 2025-26: ESPN/ABC and Amazon Prime Video share the playoffs, with ABC retaining the Finals.
The 2025 NBA rights shift, Celtics edition
The Celtics were one of the test cases for the new TV deal. The Boston market is a top-five NBA media draw, the team won a title in 2024, and Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are top-10 jersey sellers. NBC Peacock and Amazon Prime Video both pitched the Celtics in their pre-deal sales decks, and the schedule reflects the priority — Boston gets more Sunday primetime and Friday Amazon windows than any Eastern Conference team except Philly and New York.
TNT lost the rights they’d held since 1989. Inside the NBA (Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, Shaq) survived the cut and is now licensed to ESPN as a TNT Sports-produced studio show. The Celtics’ national appearances will land on ESPN, NBC Peacock, or Amazon Prime through the 2025-26 season and beyond.
What it costs
Boston regulars: NBC Sports Boston via cable Xfinity package, roughly $90-120 a month with sports tier, or the DTC streamer at $24.99. National games are covered by the same cable bundle (ESPN, ABC) plus Peacock at $7.99 and Amazon Prime at $14.99. Total Boston-resident cost: roughly $130 a month for full Celtics coverage.
Out-of-market: NBA League Pass at $99.99 for the season ($14.99 monthly) plus Peacock and Amazon Prime, plus a YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV bundle for ABC and ESPN. Roughly $50 a month for full Celtics coverage outside Boston.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch every Celtics game in Boston? Yes — via the Comcast Xfinity cable bundle or NBC Sports Boston’s standalone streamer at $24.99 a month. Most homes in New England have cable as the path of least resistance.
What about out-of-market Celtics fans? NBA League Pass plus the national broadcasters covers everything. Around $50 a month combined.
Is Inside the NBA still on TNT? No. The studio show moved to ESPN as part of the 2025-26 rights transition. Same crew, same format, ESPN airtime.
Editorial coverage. We don’t host streams or link to pirated feeds.