NBA's 2026-27 season opens Oct 20 with NBC tripleheader
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The gist
The NBA's 2026-27 regular season opens Oct 20 with a three-game NBC/Peacock slate.
The season runs to April 11, with TNT out under the new media deal.
Background
The NBA is the league whose 2026-27 season runs from Oct. 20, 2026, to April 11, 2027. This season follows NBC and Peacock's debut year broadcasting NBA games, which NBC Sports calls a triumphant debut with over 100 regular-season games across three marquee nights of the week. The preseason calendar runs through early October, including games in non-NBA markets and internationally, before the regular season tips off. The league is also expanding Tap to Watch and adding new digital features, Game Pulse and Ask NBA, for 2026-27.
How it unfolded
- Oct 3, 2026The NBA preseason schedule begins with Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7:00 p.m., on NBA TV, TSN and WPLG (10).
- Oct 16, 2026Preseason games include Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls, plus Nuggets at Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.
- Oct 20, 2026The 2026-27 regular season opens with an American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader on NBC/Peacock: Celtics vs. Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers vs. Knicks (7 p.m. ET) and Thunder vs. Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET).
- Oct 21, 2026Games include Timberwolves at Heat and Warriors at Lakers, both on ESPN.
- Oct 22, 2026Games include Cavaliers at 76ers and Nuggets at Thunder on ESPN/ABC.
- Oct 24, 2026NBA TV's 2026-27 schedule tips off; the network will air 60 regular-season games.
- Oct 26, 2026Peacock NBA Monday begins.
- Oct 27, 2026Coast 2 Coast Tuesday begins.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- NBC Sports' Mike Bachmann says the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock after a triumphant debut, with over 100 regular-season games across three marquee nights of the week.
- Analysts
- CableTV.com's Taylor Kujawa notes that due to the NBA's new media deal, TNT will no longer be a hub for NBA games.
- Analysts
- ESPN writes that the NBA's parity era has been brutal on defending champions, with each of the past eight losing key players, hitting untimely injuries or running out of gas in title defenses.