ABC and NBC to air 90 NBA games in 2026-27 season, Deadline reports

ABC and NBC will combine to broadcast 90 NBA games during the 2026-27 season, an increase from the networks’ total of 79 games in the prior season, Deadline reported on Aug. 13. The change represents a 14% uptick in NBA inventory for the two broadcast networks when considered together, according to the report.

The additional NBA telecasts are part of a longer-running shift in U.S. entertainment programming. Deadline’s account ties the schedule increase to market pressure on general-entertainment options, describing a broader pattern in which live sports, unscripted programming and news have increasingly crowded out traditional scripted drama and comedy lineups.

Deadline said the NBA game package will be carried across the two networks, with the combined count representing the total number of games ABC and NBC will air for the season. The report frames the increase as continuing momentum in broadcast rights and scheduling decisions, suggesting that broadcast network strategies are still being driven by audience demand for live events.

The announcement arrives as major networks continue to treat sports as a stabilizing category for viewership. While the report does not provide a breakdown by specific teams, time slots, or individual games, it does identify the overall count and the year-over-year comparison, setting a clear baseline for how many NBA telecasts viewers can expect on ABC and NBC during the 2026-27 season.

Deadline’s coverage also associates the shift with changes in the broader media marketplace rather than a single-year scheduling experiment. The article characterizes the current approach as a sustained trend, with sports and other event-based programming maintaining strong appeal relative to scripted series formats.

The broadcast networks’ NBA expansion would affect not only viewers, but also affiliated advertising markets and local station schedules, where live sports can drive changes in primetime planning. In addition, more NBA games on broadcast can increase competition for the remaining hours used by general entertainment, potentially reshaping how networks allocate resources across programming categories.

For the NBA, the added broadcast inventory increases the league’s exposure on free-to-air television for the upcoming season, extending the league’s reach beyond cable and streaming platforms. The next step for fans will be the release of the final detailed game schedule and distribution plan for the 2026-27 season, which will determine how the total of 90 games is phased across dates and network assignments.