The regular NBA season will end on April 12 with a massive day of games; all 30 teams in the league will play on Sunday, and after the dust from those games settle, the roster for 2026 NBA Playoffs will be announced on April 13. (Here’s a look at the latest bracket.) The playoffs will start with a play-in tournament between the Eastern and Western Conference teams ranked 7-10, those games will run April 14-17, and the playoffs will begin in earnest on April 18.
You’ll be able to catch the entire play-in tournament on Prime Video. While the broadcast schedule for most playoff games has not been set yet, we do know that conference finals will be broadcast across ABC, NBC/Peacock, and ESPN, and every game of the NBA finals will air on ABC. Here’s what you need to know so you won’t miss a single game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
How to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs:
Dates: April 14 – June, 2026
TV channel: NBC, ESPN, ABC
Streaming: Peacock, Prime Video, ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV and more
When are the 2026 NBA Playoffs?
The NBA playoffs unofficially begin with the play-in tournament from April 14-17, and they officially get under way on April 18. The Eastern Conference finals are scheduled to begin May 19, and the Western Conference finals are scheduled for May 20. The NBA finals are set to begin on June 3, 2026.
How to watch the SoFi Play-In Tournament:
The play-in tournament features the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. All games of this year’s play-in tournament will be broadcast live on Prime Video from April 14-17, with winners advancing to the first round of the NBA Playoffs starting Saturday, April 18.
What channels are broadcasting NBA Playoff games?
While we don’t yet know the full broadcast schedule for the NBA playoffs, we do know that the conference finals will be broadcast across NBC, ABC, and ESPN.
How to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs without cable:
NBA playoff games that air on NBC will also stream on Peacock. Games on ABC and ESPN are also streaming on ESPN Unlimited. You can find all these channels on streaming platforms like DirecTV and YouTube TV.
ESPN’s streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of seven linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and more. Every game of the NBA Eastern Conference finals as well as the 2026 championship finals will stream on ESPN Unlimited. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content only available on the app, and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays and more). Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.
For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including the NBA playoffs. Plus, you’ll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.
For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
More ways to watch NBA Playoff Games:
NBA Playoff schedule:
All times Eastern.
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April 14, 7 p.m.: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, Eastern Conference 7/8 (Prime Video)
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April 14, 9:30 p.m.: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, Eastern Conference 9/10 (Prime Video)
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April 15, 7 p.m.: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Western Conference 7/8 (Prime Video)
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April 15, 9:30 p.m.: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Western Conference 9/10 (Prime Video)
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April 17, 8 p.m.: East Final Eliminator Game (Prime Video)
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April 17, 10:30 p.m.: West Final Eliminator Game (Prime Video)
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April 18: NBA Playoffs begin
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May 4: Conference Semifinals begin (can move up to May 2 or 3)
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May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin on ESPN/ABC (can move up to May 17)
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May 20: Western Conference Finals begin on NBC/Peacock (can move up to May 18)
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June 3: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 1 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 5: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 2 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 8: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 3 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 10: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 4 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 13: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 5 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
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June 16: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 6 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
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June 19: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 7 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
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