If you’ve been flipping through your cable guide looking for the NBA on TNT lately, you’ve probably noticed something is seriously off. It’s 2026, and the landscape of professional basketball has shifted more than a superstar requesting a trade in the off-season. The old "Inside the NBA" crew is still around, but they’ve moved houses, and the channels you used to rely on for playoff coverage have been completely rewired. Honestly, it's a lot to keep track of if you just want to sit down and watch some hoops.
Basically, we are officially in Year 1 of the NBA's massive new 11-year media rights deal. The days of the "NBA on TNT" as a primary playoff home are over. Instead, we have a three-headed monster of ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video.
What Channels Are the NBA Playoffs On This Year?
The short answer is that the postseason is now split across three major partners. Unlike previous years where TNT took a massive chunk of the early rounds, 2026 spreads the wealth. You're going to need a mix of traditional broadcast TV, cable, and at least one or two streaming passwords to see every game.
Here is the high-level breakdown of the 2026 playoff rotation:
- ABC and ESPN: Still the "primary" partners. They have the NBA Finals (exclusively on ABC) and a huge portion of the early rounds.
- NBC and Peacock: After nearly a quarter-century away, the "NBA on NBC" is back. They are carrying a significant slate of playoff games, including a "Sunday Night Basketball" playoff edition.
- Amazon Prime Video: The new kid on the block. They aren't just for Thursday night football anymore. Amazon now has exclusive rights to the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament and a share of the first two rounds of the actual playoffs.
The Play-In Tournament (April 14–17, 2026)
If your team is fighting for those No. 7 or No. 8 seeds, you better have your Amazon Prime login ready. For the first time, the entire Play-In Tournament is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video. You won't find these games on ESPN or NBC. It’s a bold move by the league, putting the highest-stakes "win or go home" early games entirely on a streaming platform.
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First and Second Rounds
This is where the channel surfing gets intense. Coverage for the first two rounds is shared between ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. Usually, ABC takes the weekend afternoon "Showcase" games, while NBC utilizes its "Coast 2 Coast" branding for weeknight doubleheaders.
One thing to keep in mind: if a game is on NBC, it’s almost certainly simulcast on Peacock. If it’s on ESPN, you can usually find it on ESPN+ or the new ESPN Unlimited service that launched recently.
Where Did "Inside the NBA" Go?
This was the biggest scare for fans when the TNT deal fell through. Everyone thought Barkley, Shaq, Kenny, and Ernie were going to ride off into the sunset. Luckily, a licensing deal saved the show.
Even though TNT Sports is no longer a primary broadcaster for NBA games, they are still producing Inside the NBA. However, the show now airs exclusively on ESPN and ABC. You’ll see the crew during the biggest windows—think Christmas Day, the final week of the season, and most importantly, the Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
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It’s a bit surreal seeing Chuck and Shaq under the ESPN logo, but the content hasn't changed. They still have creative control, so the jokes and the "Who He Play For?" segments are intact. They just happen to be on a different channel now.
Streaming vs. Linear: The Great 2026 Divide
If you’ve cut the cord, you’re actually in a better spot in 2026 than you were a few years ago. The NBA has leaned hard into "direct-to-consumer" options.
- Peacock: This is your home for the NBC games. They don't just "simulcast"; they often have dedicated feeds and "Performance View" stats overlays that are actually pretty cool if you're into betting or deep analytics.
- Amazon Prime Video: As mentioned, you need this for the Play-In and various weekend playoff games. They’ve built a massive studio for this, featuring guys like Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki on the desk.
- Disney+ / ESPN+: Disney has started simulcasting more high-profile games on Disney+ to capture the younger audience, while ESPN Unlimited remains the catch-all for anything on the cable side.
The Conference Finals and The NBA Finals
The rotation for the Conference Finals is different under the new deal. In 2026, the rights alternate.
- Eastern Conference Finals: This year, the ECF belongs to NBC and Peacock. This marks the first time since the early 2000s that a Conference Final has been on NBC.
- Western Conference Finals: These games are staying with ESPN and ABC.
- The 2026 NBA Finals: No surprises here. The Finals remain exclusively on ABC, starting June 4, 2026.
Why the Change Matters
The NBA is trying to reach people where they are. Ratings for cable-only games were starting to stagnate, so by moving games back to "over-the-air" networks like NBC and ABC, the league is hoping to boost viewership. So far in 2026, it seems to be working—viewership is reportedly up about 18% compared to the same time last year.
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Plus, the Cooper Flagg effect is real. With the Mavs landing the top pick last year, his playoff debut is expected to be one of the most-watched first-round series in history. The league wants that on a platform everyone can access.
How to Prepare for the Postseason
If you want to make sure you don't miss a single buzzer-beater, here’s the checklist of what you actually need:
- An Antenna: Honestly, a $20 digital antenna gets you ABC and NBC for free. This covers the Finals and the biggest weekend games.
- Amazon Prime: Non-negotiable if you want the Play-In tournament.
- A Live TV Streamer: Services like YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV are the easiest way to get ESPN and your local NBC/ABC affiliates in one interface. Just remember that Sling TV users still struggle with local channel access in some markets, so check your zip code.
- NBA League Pass: Still great for the regular season, but remember that blackout rules apply to the playoffs. Once a game is nationally televised (which all playoff games are), it won't be live on League Pass. You’ll only get the archives a few hours later.
Basically, the 2026 playoffs are a bit of a scavenger hunt. You’ll start the week on Peacock, move to ESPN on Wednesday, hit Amazon on Friday, and end up on ABC for the Sunday Showcase. It’s a lot of apps, but the production quality—especially with NBC bringing back "Roundball Rock"—is arguably the best it has been in decades.
To get ready for the upcoming tip-off, your best move is to verify your Amazon Prime subscription status now, as the Play-In games on April 14th will be the first exclusive hurdle for traditional cable viewers.