NBA splits playoffs across three platforms

The 2026 National Basketball Association playoffs are the first under the league’s new three-way U.S. media deal, splitting games across ABC and ESPN, NBC and Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. (nba.com) (sportingnews.com) That arrangement began with the 2025-26 season under 11-year agreements with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Amazon that run through the 2035-36 season. (nba.com) Amazon’s piece includes the entire 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, which the league scheduled for April 14 through April 17 and labeled exclusive to Prime Video. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Prime Video also has select games in the first two rounds, and Amazon listed first-round games on April 23 and April 24 as part of its opening postseason slate. (aboutamazon.com) NBCUniversal’s deal adds another layer: it says its first-round playoff games are exclusive in all markets, national and local, and that Peacock will carry about 50 exclusive national regular-season and postseason games. (nbcuniversal.com) That is already visible on the bracket. The official National Basketball Association schedule lists Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic on Monday, April 27 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock, while Sporting News maps other series across ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video. (nba.com) (sportingnews.com) ABC still holds the league’s biggest prize. The NBA’s 2024 announcement said Disney remains the home of the NBA Finals, and Sporting News says the 2026 Finals remain exclusive to ABC. (nba.com) (sportingnews.com) The league pitched the new setup as broader reach, saying all national games would be available on broadcast television or major streaming services and that the NBA App would direct fans to each national telecast. (nba.com) For viewers, the practical result is simple: following one series may mean checking cable, broadcast television, Peacock, and Prime Video on different nights before the playoffs end on June 19. (sportingnews.com)