GoKawiilIt's mid-April, and the NBA playoffs are starting right on schedule. While the playoff calendar hasn't changed this year, the broadcast schedule has shifted for the 2026 NBA playoffs.
My NBA consumption goes way up during the playoffs, increasing with each subsequent round. I rarely seek out a game to watch during the lengthy, 82-game regular season and wait for the playoff field to be set before I'm ready to sit down and watch a game from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer.
If you're like me, and your NBA fandom subsists on game highlights, podcasts and catching the occasional second half, fourth quarter or (more likely) the final few minutes of an actual live game, then you'll need to get yourself acquainted with the new NBA media landscape with the start of the playoffs.
Under the NBA's new media-rights deal, games this season were split across its three broadcast partners: Disney (ABC/ESPN), Comcast (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). And each of these three entities has a part of the playoffs.
Here's what you need to know to watch the 2026 NBA playoffs in this new era, starting with the Play-in tournament that begins tonight.
LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets are in action tonight against the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-in tournament on Prime Video. David Jensen/Getty Images
How to watch the NBA Play-in tournament
The play-in tournament begins with two games tonight followed by two more games tomorrow before concluding with two games on Friday. All six games will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Here's the Play-in tournament schedule. Each game will stream exclusively on Prime Video.
Tuesday, April 14
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