The 2026 NBA Playoffs enter a decisive stretch this week, with six franchises still competing for the four Conference Finals berths. The Eastern and Western brackets are each narrowing fast, and the next several days will determine who advances - and where fans will need to tune in to watch it happen. For the first time under a landmark multi-network rights agreement, playoff games are split across Disney, Comcast, and Amazon, creating a more fragmented viewing experience than any previous postseason.
Where the Brackets Stand Heading Into This Week
In the East, the Detroit Pistons hold a 2-1 series advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into Game 4 on Monday, May 11, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The Pistons need two more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the New York Knicks are already waiting. Should the series extend, Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 on ESPN, with Games 6 and 7 held in reserve for Friday and Sunday if necessary.
In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated the Los Angeles Lakers, taking a 3-0 series lead. Monday's Game 4 tips off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and a Thunder victory would clinch their Western Conference Finals berth. The Lakers, playing at home in Los Angeles, face elimination. A potential Game 5 is penciled in for Wednesday, May 13 on ESPN.
A third series remains active. The San Antonio Spurs lead the Minnesota Timberwolves - the series is tied or close enough that Game 5 is set for Tuesday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. San Antonio hosts, with further games possible through May 17.
The Eastern Conference Finals - New York Knicks versus the Pistons or Cavaliers - is scheduled to begin around May 17 or 19. The Western Conference Finals start is projected for May 18 or 20, depending on how the remaining series resolve. The NBA Finals are locked in for June 3 through June 19 on ABC.
A New Broadcast Era With Real Trade-offs for Viewers
This postseason marks the operational debut of the NBA's new 11-year media rights structure, one of the most consequential broadcast agreements in the league's history. The deal replaces the longtime arrangement with TNT - ending a partnership that defined NBA coverage for decades - and introduces Amazon as a major rights holder for the first time.
Under the agreement, ESPN and ABC carry 18 games across the first two rounds and hold the NBA Finals for the duration of the deal. NBC and Peacock broadcast 28 games in the first two rounds. Amazon's Prime Video has exclusive rights to all six Play-In games and carries roughly one-third of the first two playoff rounds. Each of the three partners will host one Conference Final across a rotating portion of the 11-year term.
The practical effect for viewers is significant. Watching every playoff game now requires access to at least three separate services. There is no single cable package or streaming subscription that covers all rights holders without deliberate planning.
How to Watch Every Remaining Playoff Game
Fans looking to follow the full postseason without gaps have several options, each covering a different portion of the broadcast rights:
- Amazon Prime Video - Required for all Prime Video broadcasts, including Monday's Thunder-Lakers Game 4. Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually. An Ultra upgrade at $4.99 extra per month adds 4K streaming.
- Peacock - $10.99 per month for Premium access, covering all NBC-designated games including Monday's Pistons-Cavaliers broadcast and Tuesday's Spurs-Timberwolves game.
- ESPN Select - Live access to ESPN programming starting at $12.99 per month, covering ESPN-designated games including potential Game 5s on May 13.
- Sling Orange & Blue - Bundles ABC, NBC, and ESPN for $60.99 per month, covering Disney and Comcast rights in one package.
- YouTube TV Sports Plan - Includes ABC, NBC, and ESPN for $64.99 per month.
- DirecTV Entertainment - $89.99 per month with ABC, NBC, and ESPN included.
- Hulu + Live TV - $89.99 per month with ABC and ESPN access.
- Fubo Sports Plan - ABC and ESPN available from $55.99 per month.
No single option covers Amazon, NBC, and ESPN together without combining services. Most viewers will need at least two subscriptions to avoid missing games.
Watching From Outside the United States
Viewers outside the US may find certain games geo-restricted depending on their country's rights arrangements. Amazon holds broadcast rights in several international markets including Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Viewers in those regions with Prime access may be able to watch Amazon-designated games without any additional steps.
For other international viewers, or for those seeking to access content locked to a different region, a VPN service set to a US location can restore access to domestic streams. Not all VPN providers maintain the connection quality needed for live video, so services known for high-speed, unlimited-data performance - such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Proton VPN - are generally more reliable for this purpose. Mobile users can find VPN applications optimized for both iOS and Android platforms.
One practical viewing note unrelated to rights or geography: televisions with motion-smoothing enabled will render fast-paced live footage more clearly, reducing blur during action sequences. The same setting applied to scripted programming or films, however, produces the well-documented "soap opera effect," an artificial hyper-real appearance that most viewers find distracting. Enabling the feature for live broadcasts and disabling it afterward is the recommended practice.
