The 2025 NBA season tips off with a completely restructured media rights landscape. After years of relying mainly on ESPN and TNT, the league has expanded its partnerships to include NBC, ABC, ESPN, Peacock, and Prime Video, dramatically changing how and where fans can watch games.
NBA Weekly Broadcast Schedule 2025
The NBA has created a new rhythm for primetime games, spreading coverage across five different platforms:
- Sunday: NBC (with select ABC games)
- Monday: Peacock exclusive stream
- Tuesday: NBC regional doubleheaders (East/West) + alternate game on Peacock
- Wednesday: ESPN
- Thursday: Prime Video
- Friday: ESPN
- Saturday: ABC
This shift increases nationally televised games by 45%, meaning fans will see more NBA action on national TV — but fewer games on local regional sports networks (RSNs).
How Fans Will Find Games
To help viewers navigate the expanded coverage, the NBA is rolling out a feature in the NBA app and NBA.com that will direct fans to the correct streaming platform. NBC games link to Peacock, ESPN and ABC games to the ESPN app, and Thursday games to Prime Video.
NBC’s Tuesday Night Doubleheaders
One of the biggest changes is NBC’s Tuesday night package:
- East Coast Game: 8 p.m. ET
- West Coast Game: 8 p.m. PT (11 p.m. ET)
- NBC affiliates will show the game relevant to their timezone; the alternate game streams on Peacock.
- Unlike ESPN doubleheaders, late games will not be delayed if the early game runs long.
- The late 11 p.m. ET starts will not extend into the playoffs.
NBA TV Still in Play
Though not featured in the initial TV schedule release, NBA TV will still broadcast games this season. With TNT Sports ending its longtime partnership with the league on October 1, NBA TV operations will now be run directly by the NBA. Its schedule will be released soon, likely filling gaps on nights without national broadcasts.
Exclusivity Rules
- Non-Exclusive: NBC’s Tuesday games (also on local RSNs).
- Exclusive: NBC’s Sunday package and ABC’s Saturday games.
This approach helps local networks retain some inventory while still expanding national coverage.
What This Means for Fans
The NBA’s broadcast shakeup is one of the biggest in league history. Viewers will have to adapt to a more complex schedule, juggling between NBC, ESPN, ABC, Peacock, and Prime Video.
While this may take some getting used to, the payoff is more nationally televised games, more streaming flexibility, and a wider reach for NBA content than ever before.