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As the 2025-26 NBA regular season comes to an end, the top 16 teams in the league compete to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy with victory. There are plenty of stars in the playoffs — including Donovan Mitchell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham, Victor Wimpanyama and others — but only one team can win it all this season.
The NBA playoffs season begins on Saturday, April 18, while the postseason ends with the NBA Finals on Friday, June 19 — if the championship series lasts seven games.
At a Glance: Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live online
- when: April 18 to June 19
- TV channels: ESPN, ABC, and NBC
- Stream online: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Peacock, Prime Video, NBA League Pass
NBA ratings have soared in the past year since the league moved games from cable television with TNT to network television with NBC, with the NBA All-Star Game drawing nearly 9 million viewers in February, a 15-year high.
Furthermore, last season’s NBA Finals, which went to Game 7, peaked at nearly 20 million viewers, a six-year high. For context, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the championship against the Indiana Pacers. Two small market TV teams that have been able to achieve huge successes based solely on hot action on the basketball court rather than relying on star power and metro residents.
In the meantime, read on to find out how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs. In the meantime, check out the full schedule of playoff games here, or the tournament bracket here.
How to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs without cable
While the NBA Playoffs are televised on ESPN, ABC, and NBC, games can be streamed on online cable streaming services, such as DirecTV, Sling, and Hulu + Live TV. Postseason games are also available to stream on platforms like Prime Video and Peacock.
First, learn how to watch the NBA Playoffs with and without a cable subscription.
Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs with DirecTV, which broadcasts ESPN, ABC, and NBC, along with more than 125 other channels — like NBA TV, CBS Sports Network, FOX Sports, NFL Network, FanDuel TV and more. Sports fans can watch NBA games for free with a five-day trial of the cable streaming device. After that, you can either cancel the service or continue watching, with prices starting at $59.99 for the first month of service ($94.99 per month after that) for the starters’ Choice package with the streamer’s current deals.
sling
Sling is one of the most affordable options for new live TV subscribers who want to watch the NBA playoffs on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ABC, and NBC with the Orange + Blue plan with prices starting at $60.99 per month. Meanwhile, NBA TV is available through Sling’s Sports Extra package for an additional $11 per month. The sports package includes NHL Network, MLB Network, ESPNU, and more.
Please note: Prices and channel availability depend on your local TV market.
Hulu + Live TV
To watch ESPN, ABC, and NBC online, subscribing to Hulu + Live TV is a great option. The streaming service includes Disney+, ESPN Unlimited, and access to 95+ live channels — like CBS Sports Network, BET, CNN, Food Network, and more — starting at $89.99 per month. In addition to live cable, Hulu + Live TV lets subscribers watch originals from Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN Unlimited. Also includes unlimited cloud DVR. Hulu also offers a free three-day trial.
Fubo
To watch NBA games on ESPN and ABC (but not NBC) is done through Fubo. The streaming service starts at $48.99 for the first month ($73.99 per month after that) for 200+ channels with current streaming provider deals. You can also record over 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games, and more. If you want to watch online for free, the IPTV service offers a free five-day trial for new subscribers.
peacock
For the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Peacock is the home of the NBA on NBC online. Not a Peacock subscriber? The streamer has an ad-free Peacock Premium package for $10.99 per month (or $109.99 per year). Otherwise, the ad-supported plan costs $16.99 per month (or $169.99 per year). Apart from NBA games, you will get access to originals like Evil: for good, Ladies of London: The New Testament, Traitors, Love Island: All Stars and others; Live sports and entertainment from NBC Sports; And over 50 “always on” streaming channels.
Related to: Best peacock streaming deals
Prime Video
In 2026, Prime Video shows highlight games throughout the season. New subscribers can get a free 30-day trial of Prime Video; After that, the standalone streaming service automatically renews at $8.99 per month. Another way to watch the game for free is with an Amazon Prime membership, which includes access to Prime Video and costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year — a savings of approximately 25 percent compared to paying the regular monthly price.
Amazon Prime includes access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming, and Amazon Music Prime, plus free, fast shipping on most items sold from the online retailer with Prime Delivery, in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
NBA Pass
To stream every NBA game from all 30 teams in the league during the preseason, regular season, postseason, and NBA Finals, NBA League Pass is the best choice.
With prices starting at $16.99 per month, the streaming service features all live games, on-demand games, and access to games from the NBA archive. NBA League Pass also includes NBA TV for coverage, analysis, documentaries, highlights, and more.
However, blackout rules apply to some TV markets. Learn more about NBA League Pass here.
How to watch 2025-26 NBA games on cable
NBA games are broadcast on ESPN, ABC, and NBC. You can watch through your cable TV provider, on networks’ websites and mobile apps by logging into your cable TV account — including live streaming and traditional services like DirecTV, Sling, Verizon, Xfinity and others.
