After winning the NBA Finals for the first time in 53 years back in June, the New York Knicks are at the top of the pro basketball league. With so many storylines, drama on and off the court and high championship expectations for all 30 leagues in the league, the 2026-27 NBA season officially tips off with a triple-header in Detroit, New York City and San Antonio.

Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 20, the season is tips off with an exciting start, as the Boston Celtics taking on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Manhattan at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The last game of opening day is the Oklahoma City Thunder playing against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

All three of Tuesday’s games broadcast exclusively on NBC and livestream on Peacock, with a variety of ways to stream the action live online without cable.

When Does the 2026-27 NBA Season Begin?

The NBA season officially tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with games scheduled until the NBA Finals in June 2027. 

How to Watch the 2026-27 NBA on TV

Regular season game coverage is split across four networks: NBC, NBA TV, ESPN and ABC. If you don’t have cable, there are still plenty of ways stream the game live online on streamers such as DirecTV, Sling TV, Hulu+ Live TV and others.

If ratings are any indicator of success for the league, the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs, led by French superstar Victor Wembanyama, and New York Knicks, led by the King of New York Jalen Brunson, drew in an average of more than 20 million viewers per game for ABC and ESPN. The championship series was the most-watched NBA Finals in nearly 30 years, since Michael Jordan won his final championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1998.

How to Watch the 2026-27 NBA Season Live Online

Priced at $59.99 for the first month of service and $89.99/month afterwards (with a 5-day free trial), DirecTV has every channel you’ll need to catch all the best games, including ESPN, ABC, NBC and NBA TV. Although it’s the most expensive live TV streaming service, it boasts the most RSNs and special features for sports fanatics, in addition to the major networks like ESPN2, FS1, TBS and more.  

Sling TV

Sling TV is the most comprehensive and affordable way to stream all the necessary networks. If you want to catch every game, you’ll want to sign up for their Orange+ Blue Package, which includes ESPN, NBC and ABC, for $69.99/month. For NBA TV, Sling offers the Sports Extra package, which also comes with ESPNU, MLB Network, NHL Network and more, for an additional $11/month. Please note: Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market.

Hulu + Live TV

Starting at $49.99 for the first month ($99.99/month afterward), Hulu + Live TV is great way to catch all the action live, with the option to record the games to watch later with Cloud DVR. In addition to having access to all the networks that broadcast this season (ABC, ESPN and NBC), you’ll also be able to watch Hulu’s extensive lineup of original shows and movies, as well as Disney+ and ESPN Select at no additional cost. NBA TV is not included with Hulu + Live TV.

Fubo TV is an options for streaming the NBA. The Pro Plan gets you more than 230 channels, including ESPN, ABC and NBA TV, and NBC. In general, Fubo TV is one of the best options for streaming live sports, with 35 RSNs and local networks such as NBC, CBS, FOX, FS1, FS2, BeIn Sports, the Big 10 and the Golf Channel. They’re currently offering a 7-day free trial. 

ESPN Unlimited includes everything ESPN has to offer, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN on ABC, ESPN Deportes, SECN, ACCN, SECN+, ACCNX and ESPN+. It includes live NHL games, as part of its service. You’ll get access to other sports leagues, like UFC, F1, MLB, NHL, La Liga and others. ESPN Unlimited goes for $31.99/month.

The NBA on NBC livestreams on Peacock for subscribers only. Not a subscriber? You can purchase the livestream feed of the game starting at $12.99/month for the ad-supported plan, or $129.99/year when you sign up for an annual subscription here. In addition, you can go ad-free for $19.99/month, or $199.99/year for the annual plan. Aside from the NBA on NBC games, Peacock is the home to other sports leagues, including Premiere League, PGA, NASCAR, IMSA, Big Ten Football and more.

The NBA game livestreams on Prime Video. However, it’s not broadcasting on any network like NBC, ABC, ESPN or NBA TV, so the best way to watch it is online with a Prime Video membership.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events, like Prime Day and Black Friday, and more.

You can purchase the livestream feed of the game starting at $8.99/month for the standalone Prime Video plan, or $139.99/year when you sign up for an annual Amazon Prime subscription here.

If you want a one-stop shop for every NBA game, then go with NBA League Pass. Starting at $109.99 per season, you can access every game with live analysis, as well as access to the NBA archive of past games and history. You can also stream NBA TV at no additional cost. It’s really the streaming service to get, if you’re a die-hard NBA fan.