When I first learned about the NBA’s in-season tournament, I admit I felt extremely skeptical about the whole endeavor. But after seeing the competitiveness of the games, I’m all in, baby. That’s why I created this watch guide to help you watch the NBA Cup.
The league’s in-season tournament is great for fans who like watching good basketball in the opening few weeks of the season. The 2025–2026 iteration gets underway on October 31, and I have all the information for how you can watch every game live.
I’ll get into what services you’ll need and what channels you can watch NBA Cup games on. By the end of this, my goal is that you’ll feel informed and confident about either going with my recommendation, or making my advice your own.
What channels show the NBA Cup?
You can watch national coverage of the NBA Cup live on NBC, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock.
Most games will air on regional sports networks (RSNs) during the group stage. So you’ll need your local NBA team’s RSN for in-market games, and an NBA League Pass subscription if you’re out of market.
Pro tip: Head to our How To Watch Local NBA Games guide for a list of every NBA team’s local channel affiliate.
NBA Cup TV schedule
Spanning just over five weeks, the 2025 NBA Cup tips off on October 31 and will end on December 16. The tournament’s group stage will be like any other NBA games, with the exception of the swanky court designs in the home arenas. But the semifinals and final will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.
The knockout stage of the tournament starts Tuesday, December 9. Below you’ll find the entire schedule, which I’ll update as matchups get determined in later rounds.
2025 NBA Cup knockout rounds TV schedule
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinals | |||
| Miami Heat at Orlando Magic | Tuesday, Dec. 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors | Tuesday, Dec. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder | Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers | Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 10:00 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| Semifinals | |||
| Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks | Saturday, Dec. 14 | 5:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs | Saturday, Dec. 14 | 9:00 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| NBA Cup Championship | |||
| TBD | Tuesday, Dec. 17 | TBA | Amazon Prime Video |
Data effective as of post date.
What is the 2025 NBA Cup format?
The NBA Cup’s group play draw took place in July. Using last season’s standings, the league split all 30 NBA teams into groups of five within their conferences. The best teams from each group will move on to the quarterfinals, with two wild cards from each conference joining the pack.
Below is the team list for the six groups in this year’s NBA Cup.
2025 NBA Cup groups
- East Group A: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards
- East Group B: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers
- East Group C: New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Hornets
- West Group A: Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz
- West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans
- West Group C: Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs
Did you know? The concept of the NBA Cup draws inspiration from similar international soccer competitions. However, before fully embracing the tournament, the NBA tested the idea with the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Best NBA Cup TV plans
NBA fans who have already prepped for the regular season—even amid the additions of Amazon Prime Video, NBC, and Peacock—will have no trouble watching the NBA Cup. After all, regular-season and in-season tournament games air across the same channels with the same local and national blackout restrictions.
Our How To Watch NBA Games guide offers an in-depth look at the best TV plans for watching pro basketball. But here’s a quick rundown of our favorite NBA-centric TV providers.
- Local games: Stream with DIRECTV (starting at $69.99 a month) is the best service for watching in-market NBA games because it has fantastic RSN coverage. It’s expensive, but it also has ESPN and national broadcast channels like ABC and NBC.
- Out-of-market games: NBA League Pass is the only way to watch out-of-market NBA games. Some providers offer it as an add-on, but it’s also available as a standalone streaming subscription.
Important
: The NBA Cup knockout rounds all stream on Amazon Prime Video. So even if you don’t have that service for the earlier games, you really can’t go without it once the more exciting part of the schedule hits. And if you’re a cord-cutter, you’ll also need Peacock for the games that air on NBC because you’ll be able to stream those there.
Which TV providers show the NBA Cup?
Most TV providers carry NBA Cup games because ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT are common channels, as highlighted in the table below. But NBA TV may require a higher-tiered plan or add-on package.
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Can you watch the NBA Cup for free?
You can watch any NBA Cup games airing on NBC for free using an over-the-air antenna. However, the only other way to watch tournament games for free is by taking advantage of free trial offers from live TV streaming services. Stream with DIRECTV, and Fubo typically provide trial periods of varying lengths.
Amazon Prime Video has a 30-day free trial, which would come in clutch for the last few rounds of the tournament. But no free trial will cover the entire length of the competition.
How to watch the NBA Cup FAQ
Can you watch the NBA Cup online?
Yes, you can watch the NBA Cup online through any live TV streaming service that offers ESPN, ABC, NBC, and your local team’s regional TV affiliate. Out-of-market games are also available to stream via NBA League Pass. Starting in 2025–2026, several games will stream on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.
Does NBA League Pass have NBA Cup games?
Yes, NBA League Pass shows every live out-of-market game during the NBA Cup’s group stage. Similar to the regular season, games televised locally and nationally are accessible on demand via NBA League Pass after the conclusion of each matchup.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The NBA Cup features group play and knockout rounds. All games contribute to the NBA regular-season standings, except the championship match. As the tournament progresses, the top-performing teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals—vying for the NBA Cup title.
Is the NBA Cup on Amazon Prime?
Yes, several games will stream on Amazon Prime Video during the NBA Cup, including all games in the quarterfinals, semifinal, and final.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com sports editor, Taylor Kujawa, researched and tested the best services for watching this year’s NBA Cup—having watched last season’s tournament. After compiling a list of tournament channels, he compared the network lineups of popular providers. He determined his viewing recommendations based on channel availability, pricing, and additional features.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
