NBA Season Overview
This NBA season brings a noticeable shift for fans, signaling the end of an era dominated by icons like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, and heralding the rise of talented newcomers such as Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Edwards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Amidst this generational transition, the league is also revitalizing its broadcasting approach with new networks joining the mix, including the much-anticipated return of the NBA to NBC and its premiere on the streaming service Peacock.
Broadcasting Changes
As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches, fans will need to familiarize themselves with the various channels airing their preferred matches. Recently, the league renewed its partnership with Disney while adding new agreements with NBCUniversal and Amazon. Upcoming national games will follow a more structured schedule, with broadcasts slated for:
- Monday evenings on Peacock
- Tuesday night games on NBC/Peacock
- Wednesday slots on ESPN and the ESPN app
Innovative Viewing Features
To enhance accessibility, the NBA is introducing an innovative feature called “Tap to Watch”. This new digital tool allows fans to easily find and access live games through a simple tap that directs them to the broadcast, whether it’s a national, local, or NBA League Pass event. Fans can locate this feature on the NBA website and its app, with similar capabilities available across numerous partner platforms like Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), Snap, Reddit, Roku, Dapper Labs, and others.
Chris Benyarko, the NBA’s Head of Direct-to-Consumer Products, Technology & Operations, expressed enthusiasm about this initiative. He emphasized that the “Tap to Watch” feature is designed to streamline the viewing experience, allowing fans to seamlessly transition from checking scores to watching their games live, regardless of their online activity.
Season Opener Details
The season opener is set for Tuesday, October 21, featuring a thrilling doubleheader broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The first match will celebrate the Oklahoma City Thunder raising their inaugural championship banner while facing the Houston Rockets and their former star, Kevin Durant. This will be followed by a showdown between Luka Doncic’s squad and the Los Angeles Lakers against Curry’s Golden State Warriors, both teams vying for continued success in the Western Conference.
For any fan uncertain about where to find these games, the “Tap to Watch” function will provide easy access to all broadcasts throughout the season.
