So, you’re trying to find the game. It should be easy, right? You flip to MSG, but instead of Mike Breen’s iconic "Bang!" you’re staring at a hockey replay or a blank screen because the game is tucked away on a streaming service you forgot you subscribed to last year. Being a fan in 2026 is complicated. The New York Knicks television schedule has become a bit of a jigsaw puzzle thanks to the massive new NBA media rights deal.
The Knicks aren't just a local basketball team anymore; they are a national product. Coming off a deep playoff run, the league has scheduled them for a staggering 40 national TV appearances this season. That’s nearly half the schedule! If you're a die-hard, you need a map.
Where the games actually live this year
Honestly, the biggest shift for the 2025-26 season is the arrival of NBC and Amazon Prime Video into the mix. We spent years just toggling between MSG and ESPN, but those days are gone. Basically, the broadcast rights are split into three buckets: local, national cable/broadcast, and exclusive streaming.
MSG Network is still the home of the Knicks for local fans. They are carrying about 65 games this season. You’ve still got Mike Breen and Walt "Clyde" Frazier—thank goodness—but there’s a catch. MSG can no longer broadcast first-round playoff games like they used to. Those are now strictly for the national partners.
Then you have the national heavy hitters. ABC and ESPN (Disney) still have a huge chunk, including the marquee Christmas Day game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But now NBC is back in the NBA business, and they’ve taken over big slots like "Sunday Night Basketball." If the Knicks are playing a high-profile game on a Sunday or Tuesday, there’s a massive chance it’s on NBC or its streaming cousin, Peacock.
Breaking down the upcoming schedule highlights
Let's look at the immediate horizon. If you’re reading this in mid-January, things are getting intense.
- January 17 (Tonight!): Phoenix Suns at Knicks. This one is local on MSG, but also on NBA TV if you’re outside the New York market.
- January 19: Dallas Mavericks at Knicks. This is a big one. It’s on NBC and Peacock at 5:00 PM ET. It’s part of the MLK Day quadruple-header.
- January 24: Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers. Rivals Week is here. Catch this on ABC at 3:00 PM ET.
- February 8: Knicks at Boston Celtics. High noon (well, 12:30 PM) on ABC.
It’s a lot to keep track of. You’ve got games shifting from 7:30 PM starts to 10:00 PM when they head West, like the recent Golden State game that was an Amazon Prime Video exclusive.
The "How to Watch" dilemma for cord-cutters
If you’ve ditched traditional cable, watching the New York Knicks television schedule requires some strategy. You can't just buy one thing and see every game. It’s frustrating.
For the local fans in the NY/NJ/CT area, the Gotham Sports App is the new reality. It replaced the old MSG+ app and bundles MSG with the YES Network (if you care about the Nets or Yankees). It’s about $30 a month. Pricey? Yeah, kinda. But it’s the only way to get Breen and Clyde without a cable box.
If you’re out of market, NBA League Pass is still your best friend, though blackouts still apply for those 40 national games. And don’t forget Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. Amazon has snagged several "Thursday Night Basketball" slots and a good chunk of the NBA Cup (the mid-season tournament).
💡 You might also like: Major League Wild Card Race: What Really Happened in 2025
A quick reference for your streaming rotation:
- Peacock: Exclusive Monday and Tuesday night games.
- Amazon Prime Video: Exclusive Thursday and Friday night games.
- YouTube TV / Fubo: Good for the big networks (ABC, NBC, ESPN) and MSG, but Fubo is usually the only one with the local MSG feed.
- Sling TV: A cheaper way to get ESPN, but you'll miss the local MSG games.
Why the schedule is so weird lately
You might notice more 1:00 PM or 5:00 PM starts than usual. That’s the "NBC effect." They are trying to treat the NBA like the NFL, creating these "window" events on Sundays. It’s great for national exposure but a headache for fans who have to keep checking if the game starts at 7:30 or mid-afternoon.
Also, the NBA Cup games in November and December changed the flow. Those games are almost exclusively on Prime Video or ESPN. If you aren't paying attention, you'll miss the Knicks fighting for that trophy in Vegas.
The reality is that the Knicks are "prestige TV" now. Jalen Brunson and the crew have made this team a ratings goldmine. That means more games are being "flexed" into national slots, which sometimes happens with only a few weeks' notice.
Actionable steps to never miss a tip-off
To keep your sanity while following the New York Knicks television schedule, you should do three things right now. First, download the Gotham Sports App if you live in the New York area and don't have cable; it's the only way to ensure you have the local broadcast. Second, sync the Knicks' official schedule to your digital calendar (Google or Outlook) via the NBA website—it updates automatically when the league flexes a game from MSG to a national network like NBC or ESPN. Finally, make sure your Amazon Prime and Peacock logins are active before the big Monday or Thursday night exclusive games, as there's nothing worse than missing the first quarter because of a "forgot password" loop.
Stay on top of those Sunday afternoon ABC and NBC windows, especially as we head into February and March, as the start times will vary wildly compared to the standard 7:30 PM Garden tip-off.