The NBA has released the full 2026-27 regular-season schedule, along with major U.S. broadcast and streaming assignments. The regular season begins on October 20, 2026, ends on April 11, 2027, and consists of 1,230 games.

Key Changes

The most notable feature is the opening day schedule. On October 20, the following three games will air as a tripleheader on NBC and Peacock.

NBA image released under an open license
NBA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Victor Araiza
  • Boston–Detroit
  • Philadelphia–New York
  • Oklahoma City–San Antonio

On October 21, Minnesota–Miami and Golden State–Lakers are scheduled for ESPN.

The 2026-27 season opens with several nationally televised games beginning on the first day.

Current Status

Each team has initially been assigned 80 of its 82 regular-season games. The remaining two games will be determined between December 4 and 10, 2026, based on the results of Emirates NBA Cup Group Play. Therefore, each team’s full 82-game schedule cannot be considered final before the NBA Cup results are known.

Official ESPN video · NBA Cup & holiday schedule RELEASED 🚨 Evaluating Knicks' path to repeat in 2026-27 | NBA TodayWatch on YouTube

Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play will feature 60 games from October 30 through November 27. Of those, 15 games will be nationally televised on Prime Video, NBC, and ESPN.

Impact

The announced U.S. national broadcast schedule includes 80 games on ABC and ESPN, 100 games on NBC and Peacock, and 66 games on Prime Video. Games not included in the national broadcast schedule will be available on NBA League Pass.

The schedule also outlines the weekly broadcast structure.

DayMajor U.S. Broadcast Assignments
MondayPeacock
TuesdayNBC · Peacock
WednesdayESPN
ThursdayPrime Video
FridayPrime Video · ESPN
SaturdayAfternoon: Prime Video · Night: ABC
SundayAfternoon: ABC · Night: NBC · Peacock

NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC begins on December 12, 2026, with the New York Knicks–Miami Heat game.

However, these broadcast and streaming assignments are for the United States. A separate announcement is needed to determine which games and channels will be available in South Korea, and U.S. platform assignments should not be treated as identical to viewing options for Korean audiences.

Next Checkpoint

The most important upcoming checkpoint is December 4–10, 2026, when the NBA Cup Group Play results will be incorporated. During this period, each team’s remaining two regular-season games will be determined.

All 30 teams will play on the final day of the regular season, April 11, 2027. There are no games scheduled for April 10.