The 2026/27 NBA season is underway, and Sky Sports has lined up an extensive schedule of live action for British and Irish fans. The broadcaster will show up to 130 live regular season games alongside playoff coverage, including the Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
According to the NBA, the 2026–27 regular season is the league's 81st and runs until Sunday, April 11, 2027, with all 30 teams competing. The schedule encompasses five live games on Christmas Day, All-Star Weekend coverage, and MLK Day programming, ensuring comprehensive coverage throughout the campaign.
Opening Night Showdown
The season kicks off on Tuesday, October 20, with three compelling matchups that set the tone for the year ahead. The Detroit Pistons, who finished atop the Eastern Conference last season with a 60-22 record, host the 2024 champion Boston Celtics. According to Sky Deutschland, this game airs at 9 p.m. UK time on Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Top Event.
The Celtics arrive with a restructured roster following a high-profile trade that brought in Paul George while sending last season's leading scorer Jaylen Brown elsewhere. Brown has since joined the Philadelphia 76ers, where he teams up with LeBron James and Joel Embiid for a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the reigning champion New York Knicks.
The opening night concludes with a Western Conference Finals rematch: reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Oklahoma City Thunder travel to face Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs, a series that went seven games last year.
Christmas Day Feast
Christmas Day has become a cornerstone of the NBA calendar, and this year delivers exceptional value for UK audiences with five games spread across 12 hours of live basketball on Sky.
The day begins at 5 p.m. with a Finals rematch as Wembanyama's Spurs seek revenge on Jalen Brunson's Knicks in New York. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami Heat then visit the Celtics in Boston, followed by LeBron James returning to Los Angeles as an opposing player for the first time in eight years to take on the Lakers at Staples Center.
The Thunder face Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves in another prime-time slot, while the Denver Nuggets travel to San Francisco to meet Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors in the early hours of the morning, rounding out a comprehensive day of basketball.
All-Star Weekend in Phoenix
All-Star Weekend returns as the NBA's mid-season centrepiece, with the 2027 event scheduled for February 19–21 in Phoenix at the Mortgage Matchup Center. Sky Sports will broadcast the full three-day spectacle live.
The weekend opens on Friday with the Rising Stars game, featuring first and second-year NBA players selected through a draft conducted by honorary coaches and NBA legends. One team comprises exclusively G-League development affiliate players, while the others showcase emerging talent from across the league. Last year's Rising Stars field was headlined by Mavericks No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
Friday evening concludes with the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, before Saturday delivers the Shooting Stars contest, the three-point contest, and the dunk contest. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) classic takes place early Saturday morning, and the main NBA All-Star game headlines Sunday night.
Play-in Tournament Drama
The play-in tournament in early April represents one of the most emotionally charged and consequential weekends of the season. Teams finishing first through sixth in each conference's standings secure guaranteed playoff spots, while teams finishing seventh through tenth enter the play-in tournament to battle for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds.
This format ensures that every regular season game carries weight, with teams fighting for positioning right up to the final whistle.
The Road to the 2027 Finals
After 1,230 regular season games and a potential 98 playoff games, the championship will be decided at the 2027 NBA Finals, broadcast live on Sky Sports. Last season's Finals saw the Knicks require only five games to defeat the Spurs and secure their first NBA championship in 54 years, sparking celebrations throughout New York that the franchise will hope to replicate this year.
Additional Content and On-Demand Options
Beyond live matches, Sky Sports On Demand offers a curated selection of NBA documentaries alongside 10 of the best games from the 2025/26 season, including every Finals game between the Knicks and Spurs. The platform also features 20 of the greatest games in basketball history, showcasing classic All-Star games, Finals matchups, and iconic moments from Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and other NBA legends.
How to Watch in the UK and Ireland
Sky customers can watch all scheduled matches live on Sky Sports through their television service or the Sky Sports app. Non-Sky customers can stream the action using a NOW Day pass or a cancel-anytime Month pass.
NOW is an instant streaming service providing access to all 12 Sky Sports channels, every Sky Sports+ stream, and additional content. The app enables customers to sign up and stream instantly across more than 60 devices with contract-free membership options and the flexibility to cancel anytime. Customers can choose between a Month or Day Membership, with pricing available on the NOW website.
What Lies Ahead
The regular season opens on October 20 with the three opening-night matchups, and the NBA Cup group stage is scheduled to run from October 30 through November 27. With the season extending through April 11, 2027, fans have months of compelling basketball to anticipate, with Sky Sports providing comprehensive coverage of every major moment.
