NBC Sets Feb. 1, 2026 Launch for “Sunday Night Basketball”
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NBC Sports will re-enter NBA prime time on Feb. 1, 2026, with the debut of “Sunday Night Basketball” on NBC and Peacock.
The weekly package will begin once NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and NFL playoff commitments wrap up, the network announced. Games will air every Sunday through April 5, with breaks on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 to accommodate NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Some Sundays will feature doubleheaders, and each telecast will be preceded by a one-hour on-site studio show.
Early-Season Slate
NBC’s return to NBA regular-season coverage starts with an opening-night doubleheader on Oct. 21, 2025: the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the Houston Rockets in Kevin Durant’s ring ceremony, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers welcoming the Golden State Warriors.
Additional early games include the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. ET, streaming exclusively on Peacock.
“Coast 2 Coast Tuesday”
After the NBA Tip-Off on Oct. 21, NBC and Peacock will introduce “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” on Oct. 28. The series will present weekly Tuesday doubleheaders throughout the regular season. An 8 p.m. ET game will air on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, while an 8 p.m. PT matchup will reach Pacific and Mountain viewers. Both contests will stream live nationwide on Peacock, with a 30-minute studio program leading in.
The league’s full 2025-26 schedule is slated for release on Thursday.
Source: Hoops Wire
