The NBA is making its long-awaited return to NBC, and the network is bringing some of the league’s biggest names along for the ride. NBC Sports and the NBA announced that the 2025-26 season will tip off Oct. 21 with a star-studded doubleheader airing on both NBC and Peacock.
The action begins in Oklahoma City, where reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Thunder will raise their banner and receive championship rings before hosting Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. The 7:30 p.m. matchup marks Durant’s debut with Houston. Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play, joined by analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford, with Zora Stephenson reporting from Paycom Center. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with an on-site studio show hosted by Maria Taylor, alongside Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter.
The night’s second game will see Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and the Golden State Warriors head to Los Angeles to face LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. Noah Eagle will call the game with analyst Grant Hill and reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi, while Ahmed Fareed and Tracy McGrady lead the on-site studio coverage.
NBC’s opening night coverage will not only mark the NBA’s return to the network for the first time in more than two decades but also the league’s debut on Peacock. All games broadcast by NBC will be available to stream nationwide on Peacock throughout the season.
The announcement also included details for the premiere of Peacock NBA Monday on Oct. 27. The new weekly doubleheader will debut with Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m., followed by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves hosting Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m.
In a historic move, NBC Sports will present the NBA’s first-ever quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026. The day will feature a packed slate of stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, and Cunningham.
The schedule includes:
1 p.m. ET: Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (Peacock exclusive)
2:30 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers (NBC/Peacock)
5 p.m. ET: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks (NBC/Peacock)
8 p.m. ET: Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (NBC/Peacock)
Following NBA Tip-Off on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will begin on Oct. 28 and present doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be presented to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game to NBC stations in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. A 30-minute studio program will lead into coverage each week on Peacock.
After Sunday Night Football and NFL playoff coverage concludes in 2026, NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. This year, Sunday Night Basketball will pause on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, 2026, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game, and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. It will resume on Feb. 22 and run through April 5. Sunday nights will occasionally feature doubleheaders. A one-hour, on-site studio program will lead into game coverage each week on NBC and Peacock.
NBC Sports will release its full NBA schedule for the 2025-26 season on Thursday.
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