The NBA’s national TV schedule for 2025-26 shows a massive gap between the league’s most popular teams and everyone else.
Four teams will dominate your screens next season. The Thunder, Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers are all tied with 34 nationally televised games each.
It’s not hard to see why these teams get the spotlight. New York and Los Angeles are huge markets that attract viewers nationwide. And let’s be honest – fans will always tune in to watch Steph Curry work his magic.
But while these top teams enjoy constant national exposure, others are barely visible.
Five teams will appear on national TV just twice all season: the Jazz, Nets, Pelicans, Raptors, and Wizards. That’s a 32-game difference compared to the league’s most featured teams.
The Bulls and Hornets don’t fare much better, with only three national games each.
This massive disparity has many fans upset, but it reflects the business side of basketball. Adam Silver and the NBA prioritize teams that draw the biggest audiences for primetime slots.
It’s worth noting that all five teams with minimal national exposure finished in the bottom half of their conferences last season.
Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz, who finished dead last in the West with a dismal 17-65 record, won’t even appear on national TV until after New Year’s. Both their games will air on Peacock rather than major networks.
The Nets, now led by Michael Porter Jr., get their first national game on November 3 against Minnesota, followed by a January 16 matchup with Chicago.
Zion Williamson’s Pelicans will be featured on December 8 against the Spurs and January 30 versus the Grizzlies.
The Raptors, coming off a disappointing 30-52 season, host the Cavaliers on November 25 and the Bulls on February 5 for their only national appearances.
Washington, which posted the East’s worst record at 18-64, gets national games on November 10 and January 29.
According to NBA reporter Jim Eichenhofer, the new broadcast deal appears to set 34 as the maximum number of national games for any team, with two being the minimum.
For fans of these less-featured teams, local broadcasts will remain the primary way to follow their squads throughout the 2025-26 season.
