The 2026–27 NBA regular season begins on October 20, 2026. Opening night features a three-game NBC and Peacock slate: Boston–Detroit, Philadelphia–New York, and San Antonio–Oklahoma City.
The Philadelphia 76ers–New York Knicks game tips off at 7 p.m. Eastern on October 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York. LeBron James’s first game as a member of Philadelphia is also scheduled as this season-opening road game in New York.
Key Debut Games Scheduled for Opening Week
ESPN’s opening-week schedule on October 21 includes Giannis Antetokounmpo’s debut with the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball’s first game with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The inclusion of a player’s name in the schedule does not guarantee that the player will appear or specify how much playing time they will receive.
Five Nationally Televised Christmas Day Games
On December 25, 2026, ABC and ESPN will nationally televise the following five games:
- San Antonio–New York
- Miami–Boston
- Philadelphia–Los Angeles Lakers
- Oklahoma City–Minnesota
- Denver–Golden State
Nationally televised games during the 2026–27 season will also be available through the ESPN app, Peacock, or Prime Video, depending on the type of game. Viewers should therefore check the platform listed for each individual nationally televised game.
What Remains Undecided in the Full Schedule
Of each team’s 82 regular-season games, 80 were set when the schedule was released. The remaining two games will be determined by the results of the Emirates NBA Cup group stage.
On August 13, 2026, the NBA released the complete schedule along with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon’s broadcast and streaming schedules. Game times and broadcast assignments may change, so viewers should check the official schedule page again before watching.