How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026: live streams, schedule, TV channels

Date:
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:35:00 +0000

Description:
With 16 teams in the hunt for a place in this year's NBA Final, see how to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams around the world with TV channels explained.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter NBA Playoffs 2026: April 18 to June 19 (Finals from June 3) Stream on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock & Amazon Prime (US) Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 76%) NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City Thunder in hot pursuit of a first back-to-back NBA championship since Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant's great Golden State Warriors achieved the
feat eight years ago. OKC backed up their Finals win with a superb regular season, dropping only 18 games in the West. The San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and 2025's losing Conference finalists the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking like the franchises most likely to stand in their way. Although perhaps the biggest story in their side of the bracket is taking place in Los Angeles, where the father-son combo of LeBron and Bronny James are hoping to take the Lakers to a first title since 2020. They face the Houston Rockets first up. With defending Eastern Conference champions the Indiana Pacers failing to make the postseason, the scene is set for the number 1 seeded Detroit Pistons to have a first tilt at the Finals in two decades. They face the Orlando Magic first, followed by the winners of the Philadelphia 76ers
and Boston Celtics the latter of which won the whole thing in 2024 thanks to the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are also hoping to go far in the East this postseason.

Here's where to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams online from anywhere.
Can I watch NBA Playoffs in 2026 for free?

Not easily. NBA basketball is largely stuck behind the paywall around the world though there are a few ways.

With the sheer amount of games being streamed across the world on Amazon
Prime Video, for example, the Playoffs may be the time to take advantage of its 30-day free trial.

And there will be some action shown for free in countries like China (on
CCTV) and India (on the NBA's YouTube channel ).

Look out for free trials on streaming services where you are, with streamers such as YouTube TV (5-day free trial) in the US and Kayo Sports (7-day free trial) in Australia both letting you try their platforms for free. How to watch any NBA Playoffs 2026 stream using a VPN A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN it does everything and comes with a discount of up to 76%. Exclusive deal NordVPN get the world's best VPN Not having a VPN is like leaving your front door wide open in a busy city anyone can walk right in and take a peek. TechRadar regularly reviews all the biggest and best VPN providers and NordVPN is our #1 choice. Up to 76% Off Today 3 Months Extra Free Unlocks most streaming services Get NordVPN and stream NBA action from anywhere today. View Deal How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams in the US National coverage of the 2026 Playoffs is shared across a diverse range of broadcasters and streaming platforms. ABC and ESPN (on TV and through ESPN Unlimited ), NBC (on TV and through the Peacock streaming service) and Amazon Prime Video will all show games through the postseason. You can discover
which games will be broadcast by which channels in our 'Schedule' section below.

The Finals are set to be broadcast exclusively by ABC and ESPN Unlimited.

If you're a cord cutter wanting to watch as much coverage as possible with
one subscription, you could try Sling TV's Orange + Blue plan for $61 per month , which carries ESPN, and ABC and NBC in selected cities.

Alternative services carrying all of the required channels (other than Prime) are YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV , both of which offer free trials for new users. How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams in Canada In Canada, NBA Playoffs 2026 coverage is shared between Sportsnet and TSN .

That means you can also watch online thanks to their respective Sportsnet+ ($29.99 a month / $249.99 a year) and TSN+ ($8 a month / $80 a year)
streaming platforms.

If you already subscribe to these services but find yourself outside Canada, download a VPN and watch NBA games as if you were back at home. How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams in the UK NBA Playoffs 2026 action is split between Sky Sports and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Sky Sports packages start from 22 per month or you can get a more flexible Now Sports membership starting from 14.99 for a day pass. While Amazon Prime costs 95 a year or 8.99 a month after its 30-day free trial .

Alternatively, die-hard fans might want to check out NBA League Pass , which costs from 16.99 a month or 37.99 for the remainder of the season and unlocks access to every single game of the 2026 Playoffs.

Outside the UK? Youll might need to download a VPN , as detailed above, to watch your usual stream from abroad. How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams in Australia Aussies can watch NBA Playoff games on ESPN via Foxtel (streamed via Foxtel Now ).

All ESPN games can also be streamed through your choice of either the excellent sports streaming platform Kayo Sports (from $30 a month after a 7-day free trial or your first month for $1 ) or Disney Plus (from $15.99 a month or $159.99 for a year).

For the most comprehensive coverage, there's also the NBA League Pass , from $24.99 a month or $49.99 for the entirety of the Playoffs.

Not in Australia right now? Use a VPN if you're away from home, in order to tap into your usual domestic NBA coverage from anywhere. How to watch NBA Playoffs 2026 live streams in Rest of World With only a few exceptions (e.g. China, Iran, Russia) the NBA League Pass is available worldwide and showing the 2026 Playoffs. Click through to see the pricing and games available where you are.

Many countries also show games on TV and online through their domestic broadcasters: Africa NBA broadcast rights are held by ESPN, which provides coverage to sub-Saharan countries. Some games in South Africa will also be shown by Amazon Prime Video. Americas

Click to see more NBA Playoffs 2026 streams Caribbean & Central America You can watch the 2025/26 NBA season unfold on ESPN across the Caribbean and in Central American countries (including Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama).

B-ball fans in the Caribbean and Mexico will also be able to watch a
selection of games on Amazon Prime Video. South America ESPN has the
broadcast rights to the 2025/26 NBA season across Latin America. That includes:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (games also on Amazon Prime Video), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Europe

Click to see more NBA Playoffs 2026 streams Albania Albanians will be able to watch NBA basketball on Tring Sport. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova & Ukraine Setanta Sports has the rights to show NBA basketball in these countries. Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, San Marino & Switzerland Sky will show the NBA Playoffs 2026 action in these countries, with Amazon Prime Video also having rights to show some games. Balkans Pay TV provider Arena Sport holds the NBA rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Baltic states Live NBA is shown by Go3 Sport in
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Belgium, Spain, Andorra & Luxembourg
Specialist sports streamer DAZN has the rights to 2025/26 NBA basketball in these countries, with Amazon Prime Video also hosting games. Bulgaria You can watch NBA action on Diema Sport in Bulgaria. Croatia & Slovenia Sport Klub
and Prime Video have the rights to the NBA here. Cyprus CYTA has the rights
in Cyprus, Czech Republic & Slovakia Nova Sport has the rights to show NBA Playoffs 2026 games on television in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. France NBA coverage is available via beIN Sports and Amazon Prime Video in France. Greece Cosmote Sport and Prime Video have NBA rights in Greece. Hungary
Sport1 will air coverage of the 2025/26 NBA season in Hungary. Iceland You'll need access to St 2 Sport to watch the NBA. Ireland NBA games will be shown
on Sky Sports and Amazon Prime Video in Ireland. Netherlands ESPN holds the rights to the NBA in the Netherlands. Norway NBA coverage in Norway is shared between Rex and HBO Max. Portugal Sport TV is the main NBA rights-holder in Portugal, with Prime Video also showing games. Romania Antena Play is set to stream games in Romania. Turkey Turkey's listed NBA broadcasters are S Sport and Prime Video. Middle East and North Africa The NBA Playoffs 2026 rights in MENA countries are generally held by beIN Sports. The exception is Israel, where Sport 5 will show the basketball this year. Asia

Click to see more NBA Playoffs 2026 streams China Tencent, Migu, CCTV and the Shanghai Media Group are all listed as NBA rights-holders in China. Hong Kong Now Sports and Prime Video are set to show NBA Playoffs 2026 basketball in Hong Kong. India The main NBA broadcaster in India will be Amazon Prime Video this season. Some games will also be shown on the NBA's YouTube channel in India. Indonesia Indonesia's broadcasters are Emtek and Prime Video. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Residents of these
Central Asian countries can watch the NBA on Setanta Sports. Japan Japanese NBA fans will need access to Lemino and Prime Video. Macau NBA will show on M Plus in Macau. Malaysia Astro SuperSport has NBA rights in Malaysia. Mongolia Those in Mongolia can watch on Premier Sports Network and Prime Video. Philippines NBA coverage in the Philippines is shared between One Sports, NBA TV Philippines and Prime Video. Singapore Starhub and Prime Video have NBA rights in Singapore. South Korea Coupang Play and Prime Video are showing NBA games in Korea. Taiwan NBA coverage in Taiwan is shared between Videoland, Prime Video and ELTA TV. Thailand AIS Play and Prime Video are the broadcasters here. Tajikistan NBA will be shown on Varzish TV. Vietnam NBA fans in Vietnam can watch live action thanks to FPT. Oceania ESPN and Amazon Prime Video are the official NBA broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. (Image credit: Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) When do the 2026 NBA Playoffs start?

The 2026 NBA Playoffs started on Saturday, April 18. This year's NBA Finals are set to begin on Wednesday, June 3. Can I watch NBA Playoffs 2026 on my mobile?

The vast majority of broadcasters mentioned in this article have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser for example, Peacock and ESPN in the US and Sky Go in the UK.

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news and plays on the official social media channels on X ( @NBA ), Instagram ( nba ), Facebook ( NBA ) TikTok ( @nba ) and YouTube ( @NBA ). NBA Playoffs 2026 Schedule and TV Channels * denotes 'If required'

Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic Game 1 Sun, Apr. 19 at 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT / 11.30pm BST on NBC/Peacock Game 2 Wed, Apr. 22 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT /
12am BST (Thu) on ESPN Game 3 Sat, Apr. 25 at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST on Peacock/NBCSN Game 4 Mon, Apr. 27 at TBD *Game 5 Wed, Apr. 29 at TBD *Game
6 Fri, May 1 at TBD *Game 7 Sun, May 3 at TBD

Click to see more NBA Playoffs 2026 games Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia
76ers Game 1 Sun, Apr. 19 at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST on ABC Game 2 Tue, Apr. 21 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT / 12am BST (Wed) on Peacock/NBCSN Game 3 Fri,
Apr. 24 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT / 12am BST (Sat) on Prime Game 4 Sun, Apr. 26 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT / 12am BST (Mon) on NBC *Game 5 Tue, Apr. 28 at TBD *Game 6 Thu, Apr. 30 at TBD *Game 7 Sat, May 2 at TBD

New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 1 Sat, Apr. 18 at 6pm ET / 3pm PT / 11pm BST on Prime Game 2 Mon, Apr. 20 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am BST (Tue) on NBC/Peacock Game 3 Thu, Apr. 23 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT / 12am BST (Fri) on Prime Game 4 Sat, Apr. 25 at 6pm ET / 3pm PT / 11pm BST on NBC/Peacock *Game 5 Tue, Apr. 28 at TBD *Game 6 Thu, Apr. 30 at TBD *Game 7 Sat, May 2 at TBD

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors Game 1 Sat, Apr. 18 at 1pm ET / 10am ET / 6pm BST on Prime/SNO Game 2 Mon, Apr. 20 at 7pm ET / 4pm ET / 12am BST (Tue) on Peacock/NBCSN, TSN Game 3 Thu, Apr. 23 at 8pm ET / 5pm ET / 1am BST (Fri) on Prime/SNO Game 4 Sun, Apr. 26 at 1pm ET / 10am ET / 6pm BST on
ESPN, TSN *Game 5 Wed, Apr. 29 at TBD *Game 6 Fri, May 1 at TBD *Game 7 Sun, May 3 at TBD

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns Game 1 Sun, Apr. 19 at 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT / 8.30pm BST on ABC Game 2 Wed, Apr. 22 at 9.30pm ET / 6.30pm PT
/ 2.30am BST (Thu) on ESPN Game 3 Sat, Apr. 25 at 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT / 8.30pm BST on NBC/Peacock Game 4 Mon, Apr. 27 at TBD *Game 5 Wed, Apr. 29
at TBD *Game 6 Fri, May 1 at TBD *Game 7 Sun, May 3 at TBD

San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 1 Sun, Apr. 19 at 9pm ET / 6pm PT / 2am BST (Mon) on NBC/Peacock Game 2 Tue, Apr. 21 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am BST (Wed) on NBC/Peacock Game 3 Fri, Apr. 24 at 10.30pm ET / 7.30pm PT / 3.30am BST (Sat) on Prime Game 4 Sun, Apr. 26 at 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT / 8.30pm BST on ESPN *Game 5 Tue, Apr. 28 at TBD *Game 6 Thu, Apr. 30 at TBD *Game 7 Sat, May 2 at TBD

Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Game 1 Sat, Apr. 18 at 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT / 8.30pm BST on Prime Game 2 Mon, Apr. 20 at 10.30pm ET / 7.30pm PT / 3.30am BST (Tue) on NBC/Peacock Game 3 Thu, Apr. 23 at 9.30pm ET / 6.30pm PT / 2.30am BST (Fri) on Prime Game 4 Sat, Apr. 25 at 8.30pm ET / 5.30pm PT / 1.30am BST (Sun) on ABC *Game 5 Mon, Apr. 27 at TBD *Game 6
Thu, Apr. 30 at TBD *Game 7 Sat, May 2 at TBD

Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Game 1 Sat, Apr. 18 at 8.30pm ET / 5.30pm ET / 1.30am BST (Sun) on ABC Game 2 Tue, Apr. 21 at 10.30pm ET / 7.30pm PT / 3.30am BST (Wed) on NBC/Peacock Game 3 Fri, Apr. 24 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am BST (Sat) on Prime Game 4 Sun, Apr. 26 at 9.30pm ET / 6.30pm PT / 2.30am BST (Mon) on NBC/Peacock *Game 5 Wed, Apr. 29 at TBD *Game 6 Fri, May 1 at TBD *Game 7 Sun, May 3 at TBD Disclaimer We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious
use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.



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