How To Watch NBA Without Cable (2026-27)

To watch the NBA without cable in 2026-27: 1. Get Peacock ($10.99/month) for NBC's national games plus exclusive Monday-night doubleheaders. 2. Get the ESPN app (Unlimited plan, $29.99/month) for every ESPN and ABC game, including the NBA Finals. 3. Add Prime Video ($8.99/month standalone or included with Amazon Prime) for Amazon's exclusive slate, including NBA Cup knockout games. An antenna gets you NBC and ABC games free, and out-of-market fans can add NBA League Pass. All prices are as of August 2026.

The 2026-27 NBA TV Map: Three Packages, No Cable Required

The NBA's national rights now sit with three partners — Disney (ESPN/ABC), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock), and Amazon (Prime Video) — under the 11-year deals that began with the 2025-26 season. TNT no longer carries games. The good news for cord-cutters: every national game streams on a mainstream app — the ESPN app for ABC/ESPN games, Peacock for NBCUniversal games, and Prime Video for Amazon games. There is no game that exists only on a cable channel anymore.

The 2026-27 season tips off in October 2026, with the league revealing its signature-game schedule in August. Here is what each service carries and costs.

Peacock: NBC Games + Exclusive Monday Nights

NBCUniversal's package is the biggest chunk of the regular season. Peacock simulcasts every NBA game NBC broadcasts — including the marquee Sunday and Tuesday windows — and adds exclusive Peacock-only Monday night doubleheaders that never touch a TV channel. NBC also carries the All-Star festivities.

Peacock Premium (with ads): $10.99/month or $109.99/year
Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free): $16.99/month or $169.99/year

Either tier gets you the games — see our full breakdown of Peacock plans and prices. Check peacocktv.com/sports/nba for the current schedule.

The ESPN App: ESPN + ABC Games, Including The Finals

Disney's package includes ESPN and ABC national games, Saturday ABC showcases, a large share of the playoffs, and the NBA Finals on ABC/ESPN. Since ESPN's direct-to-consumer relaunch in August 2025, you no longer need a cable login: the ESPN Unlimited plan ($29.99/month, or $299.99/year) streams the full ESPN channel suite in the ESPN app. Note that the cheaper ESPN Select tier ($12.99/month) is the old ESPN+ library and does not include the live ESPN channels that carry NBA games — a common and expensive mix-up. Our guide to how ESPN+ fits into the new ESPN app untangles the two.

ABC games are also free over the air with an antenna if you live in range of an ABC affiliate.

Prime Video: Amazon's Exclusive Slate

Amazon's package streams exclusively on Prime Video: regular-season games (including a Friday national window), the Emirates NBA Cup knockout rounds — Prime has the winner-take-all championship game in December — select international games like the London game, the SoFi Play-In Tournament, and deep playoff coverage, including one conference finals series in 2027.

Prime Video standalone: $8.99/month (with ads)
Full Amazon Prime membership: $14.99/month or $139/year (Prime Video included)
Ad-free upgrade: +$2.99/month on either

Watch NBA Games Free With An Antenna

NBC and ABC are broadcast networks, so every NBC and ABC national game is free in HD with a $25–$40 indoor antenna if you are within range of local affiliates. That covers a meaningful slice of the national schedule — including the NBA Finals on ABC and NBC's Sunday/Tuesday games — for zero dollars a month. You will still miss ESPN-only, Peacock-only, and Prime-only games, but antenna-plus-one-streamer is the budget setup.

NBA League Pass: For Out-Of-Market Fans

If your favorite team plays outside your local market, NBA League Pass streams every out-of-market game live and on demand, plus NBA TV. As of August 2026, listed U.S. pricing runs:

League Pass: $21.99/month or $149.99/season
League Pass Premium (ad-free, 3 streams): $28.99/month or $199.99/season
Team Pass (one team): $16.99/month or $119.99/season

The catch has not changed: local-market and national-exclusive games are blacked out on League Pass. It is a supplement for following a distant team, not a replacement for the three national apps. You can also subscribe to League Pass through Prime Video Channels and watch it inside the Prime Video app.

What About Your Local Team's Games?

In-market games not picked up nationally still run on regional sports networks. Most RSNs now sell direct streaming apps — the FanDuel Sports Network app covers many teams, and others (MSG, YES, Monumental, and team-run services) sell their own subscriptions, several of which are also available through Prime Video or Fubo. Availability is team-by-team, so search your team's name plus "stream local games" before paying for anything.

The Cheapest Ways To Watch In 2026-27

Free: Antenna only — every NBC and ABC game, including the Finals. $0/month.
Casual fan: Antenna + Peacock Premium ($10.99/month) — broadcast games plus Peacock's exclusive Mondays.
Most games per dollar: Peacock + Prime Video ($19.98/month standalone) + antenna for ABC.
Everything national: Peacock + Prime Video + ESPN Unlimited ≈ $49.97/month — still cheaper than most cable packages, with no contract, and you can rotate services with the schedule.
Displaced superfan: Any of the above + Team Pass ($16.99/month) for your out-of-market team.

FAQ

Is the NBA still on TNT?

No. TNT's four-decade run ended when the new media deals took effect in 2025-26. The national partners are now ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video.

Do live TV services like YouTube TV or Fubo work for the NBA?

Partially. They carry NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NBA TV, which covers those networks' games — but Peacock-exclusive and Prime-exclusive games never appear on any channel, so a $70-plus live TV bundle still cannot show you everything. That is why the three-app stack is the cleaner play.

Can I watch NBA games on the cheaper ESPN Select plan?

No. Select is the legacy ESPN+ catalog and does not include the live ESPN networks. You need ESPN Unlimited (or ABC via antenna) for Disney's NBA games.

Where do the playoffs and Finals stream?

The playoffs split across all three partners, Prime Video carries one 2027 conference finals series, and the NBA Finals air on ABC/ESPN — streamable with ESPN Unlimited or free over the air on ABC.

What about other leagues?

The same cord-cutting logic applies across sports — see our guides to watching the NFL, college football, and the WNBA without cable.