The Boston Celtics are basically the gold standard of the NBA right now, but man, trying to figure out celtics how to watch in 2026 has become a part-time job. Between the massive new media rights deal that kicked in this season and the usual regional blackout headaches, fans are understandably a bit lost. If you're just looking for the game tonight or trying to plan out your season, things have changed significantly since the old days of just flipping to TNT or Comcast.
Honestly, the biggest shock for most people this year is that TNT is officially out of the picture. That 11-year, $76 billion deal the NBA signed has completely reshuffled the deck. Now, we're dealing with a mix of NBC (yes, "Roundball Rock" is back!), Amazon Prime Video, and the usual ESPN/ABC suspects.
Where the Games Actually Live This Season
If you live in New England, your life revolves around NBC Sports Boston. They still handle the vast majority of the regular-season load—about 67 games this year. But for the national stage, it’s a total scramble.
The new schedule logic works roughly like this:
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- Sundays: You’re looking at ABC or the new "Sunday Night Basketball" on NBC and Peacock.
- Mondays: Peacock has been snagging these exclusive windows.
- Tuesdays: NBC’s "Coast 2 Coast" doubleheaders.
- Wednesdays: The classic ESPN doubleheaders remain.
- Thursdays/Fridays: Amazon Prime Video has entered the chat in a big way, especially for the NBA Cup (the In-Season Tournament).
It’s a lot to keep track of. For example, if you were trying to catch the Detroit Pistons game on January 19, 2026, you'd need NBC or Peacock. But for that January 26 matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers? That's a Peacock exclusive. You can't just rely on a cable box anymore.
Celtics How to Watch Without a Cable Box
Cutting the cord used to be easy, but now you kind of have to assemble a "streaming Voltron" to see every tip-off. If you’re a local fan in the Boston market, Hulu + Live TV or Fubo are usually the safest bets because they carry NBC Sports Boston. YouTube TV is great for the national stuff (ESPN, ABC, NBC), but as of early 2026, it still lacks that crucial regional sports network (RSN) for local C's fans.
The Peacock "Add-on" Strategy
There’s a relatively new move that’s been a lifesaver for local cord-cutters. You can actually add NBC Sports Boston directly to a Peacock subscription for about $15 a month on top of the base fee. It’s localized, so you have to be in the New England territory to see it, but it beats paying $80+ for a full live TV bundle if all you care about is the parquet floor.
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Out-of-Market Fans
If you’re a Celtics fan living in, say, Chicago or Los Angeles, NBA League Pass is still your best friend. It’s roughly $16.99 a month, but remember: it won't show you the games airing on ABC, ESPN, NBC, or Prime Video. It only gives you the "local" broadcasts from other markets. Since the Celtics are high-profile, they get flexed onto national TV constantly—meaning League Pass might actually black out more games than you’d expect.
What Most People Get Wrong About Blackouts
I hear this all the time: "I pay for League Pass, why can't I watch the game?"
Blackouts are the bane of every sports fan's existence. Basically, if a game is being shown on a national network (like tonight's game on NBC) or your local RSN, League Pass legally cannot show it to you live. You have to wait until the "archive" version is uploaded, usually a few hours after the final buzzer.
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Some people use a VPN to "change" their location to a different country or city to bypass this. While it works for some, the NBA has gotten surprisingly good at detecting and blocking common VPN IP addresses. It’s a cat-and-mouse game that most fans find more annoying than it's worth.
Key Games and Where to Find Them
Looking at the upcoming 2026 stretch, here is where you need to point your remote:
- Jan 21 vs. Indiana: This one is back on NBC Sports Boston for the local crowd.
- Feb 1 vs. Milwaukee: A massive Sunday afternoon showdown on ESPN.
- Feb 8 vs. New York: Catch this one on ABC—it's a classic 12:30 PM matinee.
- Feb 22 at LA Lakers: The big rivalry game is airing on NBC/Peacock/Telemundo.
One weird quirk this year is the Amazon Prime Video involvement. They have exclusive rights to several Thursday and Friday night windows starting in late winter. If you don't have a Prime sub, you're basically locked out of those matchups unless you're at a sports bar.
Practical Steps to Get Ready for Tip-off
Don't wait until five minutes before the game to realize your login expired.
- Audit your subscriptions. If you have Amazon Prime for shipping, you already have the Friday night games. Check if your cable provider gives you a free login for the NBC Sports app.
- Check the local/national split. If the game is on ABC, you can actually watch it for free with a $20 digital antenna. It's the highest quality picture (no streaming lag) and costs zero dollars a month.
- Use the "Follow" feature. Most streaming apps (like YouTube TV or Hulu) let you "follow" the Celtics. This automatically adds every game to your DVR so you can start from the beginning if you're stuck in traffic.
- Download the apps. Ensure Peacock and the ESPN app are updated on your Smart TV or Roku. Nothing kills the vibe like a 10-minute "System Update" during the first quarter.
The landscape is messy, but the team is too good to miss. Whether you're watching Jayson Tatum's highlights on your phone or hosting a watch party for the Finals, knowing which app to open is half the battle.