Rooting interests and betting implications aside, NBA fandom is a consistently rewarding endeavor. The skill level is staggering, to the point that “unicorns” seem increasingly normalized. The incumbent style of play renders massive comebacks and heat-check moments nightly. It’s there for you during those cold winter months and becomes a basin of pop culture, arcana and running jokes for those who are so inclined.

But keeping track of the NBA’s ever-evolving broadcast rotation can turn even an earnest fan into Charlie Kelly in the mailroom. And it will get considerably more complicated with the new media agreement that starts in 2025-26. League Pass blackouts and the collapse of cable have made an odyssey of watching your local team, so below is our best effort to make sense of it all.

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How to watch nationally-televised NBA games

Well, if you know ball, you already associate days of the week with channel acronyms. Tuesdays and Thursdays are on TNT, while Wednesdays and Fridays mean ESPN. For the uninitiated or the forgetful, here’s everything to consider for primetime games.

ABC

This is your Saturday night or Sunday afternoon weekend headliner. It’s the network that first broadcasted NBA games back in 1965, and it’s the home of the Finals come June. Mike Breen is the sport’s gold standard for play-by-play — his “bang” call codifies superstars and trumpets historic moments. Doris Burke is his reliable pick-and-roll partner. Other rotating broadcasters include Ryan Ruocco, Mark Jones, Dave Pasch and Michael Grady. The ABC showcase begins with a triple-header on Saturday, Jan. 25. It runs through Mar. 16.

What you need to watch these games: A broadcast antenna will suffice, though ABC is also available on any cable provider or streaming service.

ESPN/ESPN2

Because these are Disney properties, like ABC, you can catch Breen and company here, too. But ESPN usually does Wednesday and Friday games, preceding those broadcasts with NBA Countdown. That’s where you’ll often see Stephen A. Smith do his uniquely Stephen A. Smith thing and where former pro players like Richard Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins and Chiney Ogwumike make the rounds.

What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers have these channels. You can also subscribe to ESPN+, Disney+ or Hulu via add-on.

TNT

Your Tuesday and Thursday action. These broadcasts open with the always-entertaining, sometimes-absurd “Inside the NBA” … until the end of this season, at least. Its parent company (Warner Bros. Discovery) will license the Shaq-Chuck staple to ESPN next fall as part of the aforementioned 11-year media deal.  Ernie Johnson has hosted TNT’s studio show since 1990. Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Brian Anderson and Spero Dedes are among those on play-by-play, and analysts include Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, Grant Hill and Candace Parker.

What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers include TNT. Otherwise, some games are available on Max via B/R Sports add-on.

NBA TV

The chillest of the national options in terms of presentation and vibe. NBA TV is owned by the league and features in-house programming like “Hardwood Classics” and career retrospectives. But the actual live games on NBA TV are simulcast from the home team’s local broadcast and are primarily on Mondays but are liable to arise throughout the week as well. There’s usually a game here whenever the national partners don’t have their programming.

What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers offer NBATV, though some require paying more for it. It’s available as part of League Pass, and the NBA also offers NBATV as a standalone channel for $8.99/month. It’s also available via Fubo or Prime Video via add-on.

How to watch out-of-market NBA games

National games are good for the monoculture and create main stages for the biggest stars. But the scope is obviously limited, and the best game of a night’s slate is often a local one. That’s where you’ll need NBA League Pass.

What you need to watch these games: NBA League Pass can be purchased via your cable provider or streaming add-on or directly from the NBA’s website. It’s also available on Fubo or Prime Video via the League Pass add-on.

How to watch in-market NBA games

Critically, League Pass excludes in-market broadcasts. If you’re in the New York area, for example, you won’t be able to watch the Knicks or Nets in the app or on NBA TV — because that’s exclusive to the local network. And, rather frustratingly, not every cable or streaming provider will have access to the local channel. Typically, the league will use zip codes to determine blackout zones.

How can you get around this? One way is to buy the cable package that includes your market’s regional sports network. It’s why ball-knowers in Los Angeles are inclined to choose Spectrum over other providers and why adamant Bulls fans will first look at Fubo or DirecTV instead of a cable network.

If you’re not in the business of choosing a new cable provider, some teams and networks offer individual subscription services.

Through FanDuel Sports Network’s unbundled option ($20/month, $190/year), you can get the following teams in-market:

As for other teams:

• With Gotham Sports ($25/month, $240-$360/year), you get the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks
• Mavs TV ($15/month, $125/year) for Dallas Mavericks
• Altitude+ ($20/month) for Denver Nuggets
• ClipperVision ($20/month, $125/year) for Los Angeles Clippers
• Spectrum SportsNet+ ($20/month, $195/year) for Los Angeles Lakers
• Pelicans+ ($15/month, $100/year) for New Orleans Pelicans
• Suns Live ($15/month, $100/year) for Phoenix Suns
• BlazerVision ($120/year) for Portland Trail Blazers
• TSN ($20/month, $120/year) for Toronto Raptors
• Jazz+ ($20/month, $125.50/year) for Utah Jazz
• Monumental ($20/month, $200/year) for Washington Wizards.

A few teams are beginning to experiment with over-the-air broadcasts for their markets so any fan with an antenna can watch. Currently, OTA agreements are in place for the Bulls, Nuggets, Pelicans, Suns, Trail Blazers and Jazz.

Regional frivolities

One of the best parts of League Pass browsing is catching the various idiosyncrasies of different local streams. Here are just a few to appreciate in the forthcoming calendar year:

• Ian Eagle, better recognized as a lead voice for TNT games, typically anchors Nets broadcasts. When Eagle is on national assignment, occasional ESPN broadcaster Ryan Ruocco replaces him. When both are unavailable, the call often goes to Noah Eagle, Ian’s son.
• The Knicks have a similar situation — Mike Breen takes the heavyweight bouts on ABC and ESPN, but he’s been the Knicks’ TV play-by-play host since the 1997-98 season. When Breen’s on primetime, the next man up is Kenny Albert, son of New York City native and Basketball Hall of Famer Marv Albert. On color commentary: Walt Frazier, the decorated Knicks point guard who provides colorful suits and singular delivery — successful teams are “hoopin’ and swoopin’,” and good offense translates to “dishing and swishing.”
• Kings games feature Mark Jones, who also does select late-slate ESPN games.
• Hornets broadcaster Eric Collins is delightful and hilarious on his calls. No one hits the vocal register of pandemonium as frequently and enthusiastically as he does. Collins’ running mate is none other than Dell Curry, former perimeter marksman for the Hornets and current father of the greatest shooter in league history.
• Pelicans announcer Joel Meyers is consistently ranked among the best in the business. He appeared as the fake anchor in “Key & Peele”‘s football broadcast sketches. The color commentator is former hooper Antonio Daniels, who is fantastic as well. New Orleans’ mascots, however, are the subjects of nightmares.
• Raptors broadcasts are bifurcated by Canada’s TSN and Sportsnet networks. Alvin Williams, the 10-year NBA vet and Villanova alum, is the team’s primary color analyst.
• Bulls games are on the newly-created Chicago Sports Network. Right now, Fubo, DirecTV and Astound Broadband are the only providers that carry CHSN. Color commentator and former Bulls center Stacey King is one of the funniest voices in the basketball multiverse. King’s running mate is the uber-talented and versatile Adam Amin. King and Amin balance one another with aplomb.
• Detroit Pistons play-by-play voice Georga Blaha has been the team’s broadcaster since the 1976-77 season.
• Atlanta Hawks games have Dominique Wilkins, the franchise’s all-time scoring leader, on color commentary.
• The Portland Trail Blazers’ broadcasts feature Kevin Calabro, the long-time voice of the Seattle Supersonics before that team relocated to Oklahoma City. Calabro chose to stick with Pacific Northwest basketball rather than follow the newly-formed Thunder franchise.

What’s changing in the fall of 2025

Starting with the 2025-26 campaign, the NBA will have new national TV partners. Disney re-upped, meaning that ESPN and ABC stay in the mix. But Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) is out in favor of Comcast (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). As part of a recent legal settlement, TNT will still retain global rights outside the United States and will license “Inside the NBA” to Disney.

Going forward, the league will have national broadcasts all seven days of the week. Peacock will yield a Monday doubleheader, while NBC affiliates will air Tuesday games. ESPN will have its usual Wednesday action. Prime will now have NBA games on Thursdays — following the conclusion of its Thursday Night Football programming — and a pair of Friday night showcases.

Saturdays will still be on ABC. And the weekend will conclude on Sundays with NBC games once “Sunday Night Football” is over.

How much will this all cost me?

Brace yourselves. Under the current arrangement, fans can catch literally every game with a cable TV package (average estimated at $89 per month), internet access (around $69/month) and an NBA League Pass subscription ($16.99/month) — a monthly cost of approximately $175. But you may need to throw in another $15-25 if your cable provider doesn’t have the local sports network.

Fortunately, there are ways to compromise. Let’s use the aforementioned averages for the rest of this exercise:

• To watch only ABC showcase games — you can for free with a working antenna.
• To watch out-of-market non-primetime and NBA TV games, you’ll need internet ($69) and League Pass ($17).
• To watch your hometown team, you’ll need either the cable TV package ($89) or internet and unbundled team access ($69 plus $15-25).
• To watch only primetime, you’ll need either cable ($89) or internet ($69) plus ESPN+ ($11.99/month) and Max with the sports add-on (two $9.99 payments).

Once the new media deal goes into effect next season, you’ll also need to factor in two new services — Peacock ($7.99/month) and Prime ($8.99/month). NBA zealots trying to watch every game will undoubtedly be annoyed. But casual fans will be happy, with more games streamed on commonly subscribed-to platforms.

(Photo by Nic Antaya / Getty Images)