Following the shutdown of the FanDuel-branded regional sports networks, many NBA teams enter the 2026-27 season with new local broadcast agreements.
The NBA’s local media landscape varies widely this season. Some teams remain with traditional regional sports networks, while others stream games exclusively on services like DAZN or simulcast many of their games over the air.
But which fans will struggle most entering the season? And which fan bases have less to worry about? Awful Announcing analyzed every NBA team to find just how hard it is to watch local games. We ranked teams based on direct-to-consumer cost, cable/satellite availability, the number of nationally televised games, over-the-air access, and streaming-exclusive broadcasts to identify the best and worst setups for the 2026-27 season.
Note: The NBA’s national broadcast arrangements can be very confusing. For this ranking, national exclusive games are only games on national networks without a separate local broadcast. This includes games on NBC, which may not be exclusive, but nevertheless count toward total over-the-air games.
Here are the Awful Announcing NBA Accessibility Rankings for the 2026-27 season, from worst to best.
### 30\. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the least accessible NBA team to watch for the 2026-27 season. The main reason is that they are one of five teams not available on cable, as they signed an exclusive deal with DAZN. What makes them worse than the other four teams? They will have 59 games exclusive to streaming, including DAZN, which costs $120. Then, 10 other games will be on other platforms because they are national exclusives. If the Cavaliers’ local games were on cable, that wouldn’t be such a big problem, since the package would include the national games. But because they aren’t, fans will need to subscribe to another service to watch those 10 games, in addition to the $120 they already spent on DAZN. On the bright side, at least 15 local games will be simulcast over the air.
### 29\. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers, as you may have guessed, are another DAZN team. That means they have all the same issues as the Cavaliers, though one fewer national TV game. Their one saving grace, in addition to 15 over-the-air games, is that seven additional local games will stream behind the DAZN paywall.
### 28\. Minnesota Timberwolves
Later on in this list, you’ll find teams we took points away from because of the number of national exclusives they have, which require fans to subscribe to additional services. But for the Timberwolves, more national exclusives are actually beneficial. Compared to the Pacers and Cavs, the Timberwolves will have 10 more games over-the-air. That’s not because of their local packages, but because of their national draw. That means five more national exclusives, and while the Timberwolves have the same DAZN problems as the Pacers and Cavaliers, those over-the-air games should help make up for it.
### 27\. San Antonio Spurs
Like the Timberwolves, the Spurs are a national TV draw, and because of Wemby, that means more over-the-air games on ABC and NBC. The Spurs also have a slightly larger local over-the-air package, with 22 games compared to 15 for the rest of the DAZN teams. Together, that means 32 Spurs games are currently scheduled to be broadcast over-the-air, which certainly softens the blow of the Spurs’ DAZN deal.
### 26\. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are the last DAZN-exclusive team on this list, and perhaps they offer DAZN’s best deal. The Grizzlies only have two national exclusive games, one on Prime and one on Peacock. That means that, unlike the other DAZN teams, paying for the Grizzlies’ games gets you almost all of them. Of course, the flip side is that, outside the 15 local over-the-air simulcasts, there is no way to watch Grizzlies games on cable. That keeps them from moving higher, but it does make them the most accessible DAZN team.
### 25\. New York Knicks
The next six teams on this list are all legacy cable teams. By that, we mean their games are still exclusive to cable, and they don’t have any local games over-the-air. These days, being cable-exclusive brings more problems than benefits. MSG isn’t carried on Hulu, YouTube TV, or Dish, and its direct-to-consumer streaming service costs a pricey $180. The one saving grace is that, despite having no local over-the-air games, the reigning champions still have 15 national games available over the air.
### 24\. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are in a similar boat to the Knicks: a cable-focused deal with no local over-the-air simulcasts. They also have similar carriage issues. In addition to lacking carriage on Hulu, YouTube TV, and Dish, they also lack carriage on FuboTV. The one saving grace? A much more affordable direct-to-consumer streaming service at $120, which is totally free for Spectrum customers who get internet and mobile service.
### 23\. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers’ setup is almost identical to the Lakers’ and Knicks’ setups, so I won’t bore you with the details. The 76ers have the second-most expensive direct-to-consumer streaming service of any NBA team at $200 for the season through NBC Sports Philadelphia on Peacock. In exchange, the Sixers have terrific cable carriage, making them one of the few teams you can watch on Fubo, YouTube TV, and Hulu, though they still lack carriage on Dish.
### 22\. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are also an NBC Sports team, which means they have the same benefits and drawbacks as the 76ers. They still have an expensive direct-to-consumer streaming service ($155), though it’s less expensive than the 76ers’ service, and they have the same carriage benefits. The cheaper streaming keeps them higher than the Sixers on our list.
### 21\. Washington Wizards
The Wizards have only five national exclusives, which might seem like a benefit. However, that means they have only two over-the-air games total. They also have some serious cable carriage issues, with no way to watch them on Hulu, Fubo, or YouTube TV. A $120 direct-to-consumer streaming service is just middle of the road, but it clearly shows how a legacy cable deal can hurt broadcast accessibility.
### 20\. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder may not be the least accessible NBA team, but they easily win the award for the [most confusing](https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder-hybrid-local-media.html) local TV deal. They signed an agreement to put all their games on an over-the-air network, but to capitalize on some of those sweet carriage fees, only 10 of those games will truly be available over-the-air. On cable, KSBI will air all local games, but only 10 of them can be watched on the same network using an antenna. The Thunder’s website also simply isn’t good enough at denoting which games fall under which category. The Thunder have other problems, too. Their cable-focused deal means they aren’t carried on YouTube TV, Hulu, or Dish. Their 23 total over-the-air games (including national telecasts on NBC and ABC) are relatively high, but the Thunder aren’t making it easy for fans to follow.
### 19\. Boston Celtics
The Celtics, like the 76ers and Warriors, are another NBC Sports team. That means they have the same great cable carriage as other cable-focused teams. Their direct-to-consumer streaming service also isn’t hugely expensive at $138, though that’s more than the $120 most NBA teams charge. The extra cable carriage more than justifies the slightly more expensive streaming.
### 18\. Houston Rockets
This next group of cable-focused teams benefits from their relatively low national appeal. The Rockets will have only 10 national exclusive games and will also see eight nationally televised over-the-air games. They offer a relatively inexpensive DTC streaming service at $120 but aren’t carried on Hulu or YouTube TV. With more national games, they would be further down this list, but with only 10, they are right in the middle of the pack.
### 17\. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets will only have two national-exclusive games, which makes watching them locally a great deal. For $120, you get most Nets games. They have some cable problems, lacking carriage on Hulu, YouTube TV, and Dish, but that doesn’t hurt as much because they have so few national-exclusive games.
### 16\. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have the same number of national-exclusive games as the Nets, the same providers without cable carriage, and the exact same direct-to-consumer cost. Chicago’s one benefit over the Nets? One of their national games will be available over the air. In some outer markets outside Illinois, you may be able to watch all local CHSN games over the air.
### 15\. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have seven nationally televised games, but still offer some clear benefits over the Bulls and Nets. They have a 10-game local over-the-air package that, when combined with the national games, totals 14 over-the-air games (the Bulls had only one). They also have a $90 direct-to-consumer streaming service, tied for the second-cheapest among NBA teams. They are still a cable-focused team with some cable carriage issues, lacking carriage on Hulu, YouTube TV, and Dish, but their deal could be far worse.
### 14\. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are the hardest team to rank on this list. Being the NBA’s only Canadian team, they have zero national-exclusive games (and zero streaming-exclusive games), because all games in Canada are split between Sportsnet and TSN. That also makes them one of only two teams (the other being the Nets) with zero over-the-air games. The Raptors’ big problem is direct-to-consumer streaming. To catch Raptors games, you will need subscriptions to both Sportsnet and TSN. If you don’t have cable, that will cost you $250 USD over a full season. With Canadian cable mostly a duopoly, there aren’t any major carriage issues, but the DTC cost is still incredibly expensive.
### 13\. Sacramento Kings
The Kings are the final NBC Sports team on this list. Hopefully, you remember what we said about the last three teams, so we don’t have to repeat it again. Their great cable carriage matters because they are currently scheduled for only two national-exclusive games, and their direct-to-consumer streaming service is relatively expensive at $155.
### 12\. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are the last team on this list available primarily on cable, though they have the largest over-the-air package of these teams, with 20 games. They still have many of the same carriage issues as other cable-focused teams, with no availability on Hulu, YouTube TV, or Dish. They also have 15 national-exclusive games, but with their 20-game local over-the-air package, that brings them to 32 total over-the-air games.
### 11\. Detroit Pistons
The remaining teams on this list will be available primarily over the air. That may suggest there aren’t many differences between these teams, but important nuances remain. For example, the Pistons’ main over-the-air network lacks cable carriage on Spectrum, in addition to Hulu and YouTube TV. If you have an antenna, it is great, but without one, the Pistons may be surprisingly hard to watch.
### 10\. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have a few key benefits over the Pistons. They will have two more over-the-air games, for a total of 74. They also offer a slightly more affordable streaming option at $100 and have no carriage issues on Spectrum.
### 9\. Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers only have seven nationally televised games. So, despite costing $20 more than the Mavericks’ service, it is arguably a better deal. They also only have two streaming-exclusive games.
### 8\. Miami Heat
The Heat have one benefit that makes you wonder why they aren’t number one on this list. They are the only NBA team to offer a totally free direct-to-consumer streaming service. So even though the Heat don’t have carriage on YouTube TV, Hulu, or Fubo, it really doesn’t matter. The problem is that 14 games will be national exclusives. Despite the free local streaming, Heat fans will still need to pay for the national games.
### 7\. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have a major benefit in being a primarily over-the-air team with carriage on YouTube TV. With only six national-exclusive games, that makes their local package a very good deal. Be warned, though: with these primarily over-the-air teams in big markets, cable carriage in outer markets can vary widely.
### 6\. Utah Jazz
The Jazz share many characteristics with the other over-the-air teams on this list and are tied for the most over-the-air games this season, with 80. With only six national exclusives, their $120 local streaming service is a bargain. But they do lack cable carriage on Hulu and YouTube TV.
### 5\. New Orleans Pelicans
The only major difference between the Pelicans and the Jazz is the number of national-exclusive games. The Pelicans have only two, both on streaming services, so you can watch the rest of their games on their relatively inexpensive $100 streaming service. They lack cable carriage on Hulu, YouTube TV, and Dish, but their relative lack of national games makes that issue (almost) moot. In total, 80 Pelicans games will air locally over the air.
### 4\. Orlando Magic
In Orlando, the Magic appear to be available on all major cable providers except Hulu. They may have more national-exclusive games than the Pelicans (eight) and a slightly more expensive streaming service ($120), but if you have cable, you can almost certainly watch them. That’s a big benefit in our eyes. And with 75 over-the-air games, the Magic should be easy and affordable to watch.
### 3\. Phoenix Suns
The Suns have a lot of benefits for fans watching their games, which was their primary stated reason for moving to over-the-air broadcasting years ago. This year, fans can get 79 Suns games with an antenna. They offer a very affordable streaming option at $90 and strong distribution, though they still lack carriage on Hulu and YouTube TV. Their relatively small number of national exclusive games (six) also benefits fans, making their local TV arrangement a great deal.
### 2\. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have one of the most unique direct-to-consumer streaming arrangements of any NBA team, putting their games on the base plan of Amazon Prime. That means it’s about $54 to watch all local Hawks games, along with all the other Prime benefits. The Hawks have eight national-exclusive games and no cable carriage on Hulu, but Prime streaming is hard to beat. In total, 77 Hawks games will be available over the air.
### 1\. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are the most accessible NBA team to watch for the 2026-27 season, with 80 games available over the air. They offer the benefits of a relatively inexpensive streaming service ($100), few national-exclusive games (two), and strong cable carriage, with Hulu as the only major omission. Being bad does have its perks. Here, it means the Bucks’ local TV arrangement is a really good deal.
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What do these rankings show? Teams in the cable bundle are generally less accessible, either because they miss key cable providers like YouTube TV or Hulu, or because they have extremely high direct-to-consumer streaming costs. Teams that have moved over-the-air are often much more accessible. Good teams also get the added bonus of more national over-the-air games and fewer national streaming games, even if that means more national exclusives overall. Mediocre teams suffer most from national deals, with more games on streaming and fewer over-the-air games. But the worst NBA teams have it the best, with very few national games, which leads to better deals for local packages.
_Methodology: Each team was compared based on the cost of its direct-to-consumer streaming service, the number of major cable providers on which it is available, the number of exclusive national games, the number of over-the-air games, and the number of streaming-exclusive games_