ESPN and ABC have released their 2026-27 NBA broadcast schedule. The slate marks ESPN’s 25th straight season covering the league.
What We Know: NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC returns as the league’s lone national game of the week, kicking off December 12 with the Knicks visiting the Heat. A January 30 Rivals Week quadrupleheader features LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić. Christmas Day brings a Knicks-Spurs Finals rematch across both networks. Last season’s coverage set momentum for this expansion: the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on ABC and ESPN averaged 1.9 million viewers through 80 telecasts, up 11% from the year before and the network’s best mark since 2018-19.
What Remains Unclear: The release doesn’t specify full postseason plans beyond the regular-season slate. Talent assignments for broadcasts is also unknown at the current time.
What It Means: The schedule leans heavily on marquee debuts, rivalries and star power to sustain last season’s ratings surge. With the Knicks, 76ers, Lakers and Spurs leading appearances, ESPN and ABC are betting on recent contenders to drive tune-in. Christmas Day and the January 30 quadrupleheader stand out as the season’s biggest early tests.
2026-2027 NBA on ESPN/ABC Schedule
(via ESPN PR)
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Where to Watch |
| Wed, Oct. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat | ESPN |
| Wed, Oct. 21 | 10 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Thu, Oct. 22 | 7 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN |
| Thu, Oct. 22 | 9:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ESPN |
| Wed, Oct. 28 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers | ESPN |
| Wed, Oct. 28 | 9:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 4 | 9:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 11 | 7 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 11 | 9:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 18 | 7 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 18 | 9:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 25 | 5 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ESPN |
| Wed, Nov. 25 | 10 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers | ESPN |
| Sat, Dec. 12 | 8:30 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat | ABC |
| Wed, Dec. 16 | 7 p.m. | Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN |
| Wed, Dec. 16 | 9:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | 12 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks | ESPN, ABC |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | 2:30 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN, ABC |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | 5 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN, ABC |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | 8 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN, ABC |
| Fri, Dec. 25 | 10:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors | ESPN, ABC |
| Wed, Jan. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 6 | 10 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 8 | 7 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 8 | 9:30 p.m. | Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 13 | 7 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 13 | 9:30 p.m. | Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m. | Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 20 | 9:30 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 22 | 7 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 22 | 9:30 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan. 27 | 9:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 29 | 7 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 29 | 9:30 p.m. | Charlotte Hornets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN |
| Sat, Jan. 30 | 12:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat | ABC |
| Sat, Jan. 30 | 3 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ABC |
| Sat, Jan. 30 | 5:30 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors | ABC |
| Sat, Jan. 30 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks | ABC |
| Wed, Feb. 3 | 7 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons | ESPN |
| Wed, Feb. 3 | 9:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets | ESPN |
| Sat, Feb. 6 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs | ABC |
| Wed, Feb. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN |
| Wed, Feb. 10 | 10 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Fri, Feb. 12 | 10:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Sat, Feb. 13 | 8:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks | ABC |
| Wed, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons | ESPN |
| Wed, Feb. 17 | 9:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ESPN |
| Fri, Feb. 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN |
| Fri, Feb. 26 | 10 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets | ESPN |
| Sat, Feb. 27 | 8:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks | ABC |
| Sun, Feb. 28 | 1 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs(From Moody Center in Austin, Tex.) | ABC |
| Sun, Feb. 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks | ABC |
| Wed, Mar. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 3 | 10 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets | ESPN |
| Fri, Mar. 5 | 7 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons | ESPN |
| Fri, Mar. 5 | 9:30 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets | ESPN |
| Sat, Mar. 6 | 8:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ABC |
| Sun, Mar. 7 | 1 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics | ABC |
| Sun, Mar. 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets | ABC |
| Wed, Mar. 10 | 7 p.m. | Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 10 | 9:30 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN |
| Sat, Mar. 13 | 8:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ABC |
| Sat, Mar. 13 | 10:30 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers | ESPN |
| Sun, Mar. 14 | 12 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | ABC |
| Sun, Mar. 14 | 2:30 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ABC |
| Wed, Mar. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 17 | 10 p.m. | Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | San Antonio Spurs vs. Boston Celtics | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 24 | 10 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors | ESPN |
| Sun, Mar. 28 | 12:30 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic | ESPN |
| Sun, Mar. 28 | 3 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 31 | 7 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers | ESPN |
| Wed, Mar. 31 | 9:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks | ESPN |
| Wed, Apr. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs | ESPN |
| Wed, Apr. 7 | 10 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Sun, Apr. 11 | 6 p.m. | TBD | ESPN |
| Sun, Apr. 11 | 8:30 p.m. | TBD | ESPN |
In addition to its regular season coverage, ESPN platforms are the exclusive home of the NBA Finals on ABC, the 2027 Western Conference Finals and the 2027 NBA Draft and also broadcast first- and second-round NBA Playoff games.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.