The NBA's 2025-26 regular season is set to tip off on Tuesday, October 21, bringing fans back to the court after a summer of trades and offseason drama. This marks the league's 80th campaign, with the full schedule already unveiled back in mid-August, promising another grind of 82 games per team stretching into April. Opening night features high-stakes matchups, including the defending champions facing off early, though the exact slate has that familiar mix of star power and regional rivalries.
Indeed, the schedule release highlighted some marquee dates right away. Christmas Day, always a holiday staple, lands on Thursday, December 25, with all five games airing exclusively on ESPN and ABC—think packed arenas and prime-time excitement under those festive lights. Then there's the Emirates NBA Cup kicking things into gear even sooner, but the core season's rhythm builds from that October start. However, not everything's seamless; the league's still navigating its new media deals, which shift some coverage around after last year's TNT farewell.
TV viewers have options galore this year, a shift that's both a boon and a bit of a hassle for cord-cutters. ESPN and ABC handle the bulk of the spotlight games, including opening week doubleheaders on October 22 and 23. NBC and Peacock jump in with a robust slate, revealing their full lineup alongside the schedule drop—expect 100-plus regular-season games across those platforms. Amazon Prime Video takes over some national packages, streaming exclusives that might force more app-switching. And don't forget NBA TV for those international feeds and overflow, plus radio simulcasts on SiriusXM for the die-hards. Moreover, the broadcast split aims to reach wider audiences, yet it underscores how fragmented viewing has become in the streaming era.
Key events like Rivals Week in late January and three Global Games add flavor, but the real pulse is in the daily matchups listed on sites like ESPN's schedule page. As teams gear up with media days wrapping this week, the anticipation builds—what surprises will this season hold amid the parity push?