Finding out basketball games today what channel used to be simple. You’d flip to TNT on a Thursday or ESPN on a Wednesday, and that was that. But it’s 2026, and the "Great Streaming Wars" have officially moved from Hollywood to the hardwood. Tonight is a perfect example of why your old cable habits might leave you staring at a "signal not found" screen while your team is tipping off.
Honestly, the schedule for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, is a bit of a maze. We’ve got a massive NBA doubleheader on ESPN, but the college side of things is scattered across everything from Peacock to the ACC Network. If you're trying to figure out where to park your remote, you've got to look at the league first, because the rules changed big time this season.
The NBA Slate: ESPN Owns the Night
If you are looking for the pros, tonight is a traditional ESPN Wednesday. No Amazon Prime Video exclusives tonight (those are mostly Thursdays now), and NBC/Peacock is resting until their Sunday-Monday-Tuesday window opens back up.
The marquee matchup starts in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:00 PM ET. It’s airing nationally on ESPN. If you’re a local fan in Ohio, you can still find it on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, while Philly locals have it on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Wait, did I say Xfinity Mobile Arena? Yeah, the venues have changed names as fast as the channels have.
Later on, the late-night crowd gets a treat with the Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 PM ET, also on ESPN. This is a huge one for the standings. You've got Nikola Jokic potentially sitting out (knee issues, keep an eye on that injury report), while Dallas is dealing with a massive void since Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are both sidelined. It’s basically a battle of the benches, but on a national stage.
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For the out-of-market games that aren't on national TV, you’re still looking at NBA League Pass. Games like Brooklyn at New Orleans (7:00 PM CT) are sticking to local networks like the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network.
College Basketball: The ACC and Big Ten Takeover
College hoops is where things get truly chaotic. If you’re asking basketball games today what channel for the NCAA, you better have a subscription to basically everything.
The biggest game of the night is probably No. 6 Duke vs. California. That tips off late—11:00 PM ET—on the ACC Network. Yes, Cal is in the ACC now. It’s still weird to say, but that’s the reality of 2026. Duke is on a tear, but playing at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley is always a trap.
Earlier in the evening, the Big Ten is dominating the mid-tier slots:
- Iowa at No. 5 Purdue (6:30 PM ET) is on Big Ten Network (BTN). Mackey Arena is going to be deafening for this one.
- No. 13 Illinois at Northwestern (8:30 PM ET) also lands on BTN.
- UCLA at Penn State (8:30 PM ET) is a FS1 special.
If you're a fan of the Big 12 or the SEC, your night is split. Vanderbilt at Texas is on ESPN2 at 9:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, the SEC Network is carrying South Carolina at No. 17 Arkansas at that same time.
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Don't Forget the Stream-Only Games
There is a massive shift toward Peacock and ESPN+ (now often referred to in listings as ESPN Unlimited) this year. For instance, if you want to watch Colorado at Cincinnati at 7:00 PM ET or Utah at No. 15 Texas Tech at 9:00 PM ET, you won't find them on a "channel" at all. They are exclusive to Peacock.
It’s frustrating. I get it. You pay for cable, then you realize the game you actually want to see requires an app download and a $7.99 monthly charge.
Why the Channel Search Is So Confusing Now
The reason you're constantly searching for "what channel" is that the NBA's new media deal finally kicked in. The 2025-26 season saw the end of the 23-year TNT era. Now, NBC and Amazon are in the mix, meaning the "usual" spots for games have shifted.
Wednesday remains a stronghold for ESPN, which is the only reason tonight feels somewhat normal for NBA fans. But for college, the conference realignments (like Duke playing a conference game in California) have completely re-mapped which regional networks carry which games.
Your Quick Access Guide for Tonight
To make your life easier, here’s a breakdown of the heavy hitters for Wednesday, January 14:
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National TV (Cable/Satellite)
- ESPN: Cavs vs. 76ers (7:00 PM); Nuggets vs. Mavericks (9:30 PM)
- ESPN2: Auburn at Missouri (7:00 PM); Vanderbilt at Texas (9:00 PM); TCU at No. 11 BYU (11:00 PM)
- FS1: Butler at Xavier (6:30 PM); UCLA at Penn State (8:30 PM); Arizona State at No. 1 Arizona (10:30 PM)
- ACC Network: Pitt at Georgia Tech (7:00 PM); No. 14 UNC at Stanford (9:00 PM); No. 6 Duke at Cal (11:00 PM)
- SEC Network: Kentucky at LSU (7:00 PM); South Carolina at No. 17 Arkansas (9:00 PM)
Streaming Only (No Channel Number)
- Peacock: Colorado at Cincinnati (7:00 PM); UCF at Kansas State (8:00 PM); Utah at No. 15 Texas Tech (9:00 PM)
- ESPN+: Temple at Memphis (8:00 PM); plus dozens of mid-major games including VCU at Rhode Island (6:00 PM).
Actionable Steps for the Fan
Before the first tip-off, do yourself a favor and check your logins. If you’re planning on watching that Duke game or the Big Ten matchups, ensure your cable provider login is active on the ESPN or FOX Sports apps. If you're chasing the Big 12 games on Peacock, verify your subscription is active now so you aren't fighting with a password reset screen during the opening jump.
Most importantly, keep a "live scores" app like the NBA app or the ESPN app open. These apps have a "Watch" tab that actually detects which services you have and tells you exactly which button to press to start the stream. It's much faster than scrolling through a 1,000-channel guide.