Three games, one night
The 2026-27 NBA season tips off on Tuesday 20 October with a triple-header. Boston travel to Detroit at 3pm ET to open things up. Then Philadelphia, with LeBron James wearing a 76ers jersey, head to Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks raise their championship banner at 7pm ET. The night closes with Oklahoma City at San Antonio at 9:30pm ET, a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
Why opening night matters this year
No gentle warm-up games. The league has packed the first night with title contenders and old grudges. LeBron’s debut in Philadelphia against the defending champions is the headline, but Spurs versus Thunder, months after a Game 7, is the one neutrals will circle.
The rest of opening week
Wednesday 21 October brings Minnesota at Miami (7:30pm ET) and Golden State at the Lakers (10pm ET). The fourth NBA Cup starts on 30 October, and the league plays a Mexico City game on 7 November.
Watching from outside the US
Here is the snag. NBC, Peacock and ESPN are US-only streams. Open them from Amsterdam, Dubai or Bogota and you get a blackout page. An IPTV subscription carries the US channels wherever you are, and your own country’s sports channels sit in the same package. One subscription, every game.
Football fans have a full weekend too. Premier League Matchweek 6 returns on 10 October, and the MLB playoffs are still running. Our guide to watching live sports abroad covers the rest.
Follow the news from your country, live
Missing the evening news, the morning shows or the big match back home? With an IPTV subscription the channels from your country come straight to your screen, wherever you live.
See the full worldwide line-up on our Channels & Coverage page, then start a free 24-hour test and check your own channels in minutes.