NBA on Sky Sports: Dates, schedule, UK start times and how to watch or stream live regular season and playoff action

With up to 130 live regular season games, plus matches from the playoffs including the Conference Finals and NBA Finals, there is a feast of live action heading your way.

All bases are covered with five live games on Christmas Day, plus coverage of All-Star Weekend and MLK Day, so with no further ado, here's your guide to some of the biggest moments this season…

The most immediate - and perhaps the most unmissable - instalment of NBA on Sky is the league's opening night on Tuesday.

The Detroit Pistons - who topped the Eastern Conference last year with an impressive 60-22 record - play host to the 2024 champions Boston Celtics at 8pm on Sky Sports Mix . The Celtics are sporting a new-look side featuring Paul George after his arrival in a high-profile trade that facilitated the departure of last year's leading scorer Jaylen Brown.

Later that evening, Brown joins up with LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and the rest of his new Philadelphia 76ers team-mates as they travel to Madison Square Garden to face the reigning champion New York Knicks.

The slate ends with yet another fascinating match-up: a rematch of last year's seven-game epic Western Conference Finals series between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs.

Christmas Day is already a staple in the NBA calendar - but this year in particular is a feast for UK fans, with five games across 12 hours of live basketball on Sky.

The day kicks off with a rematch of the 2026 Finals - Wembanyama's Spurs will look to exact their revenge on Jalen Brunson's Knicks in New York at 5pm, before Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami Heat visit the Celtics in Boston.

Later, LeBron returns to Los Angeles as an opposing player for the first time in eight years to take on the Lakers at Staples Center, with the Thunder playing Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets taking a trip to San Francisco to face Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors in the early hours of the morning.

All-Star weekend - the NBA's mid-season showpiece - will once again be shown live on Sky.

The NBA All-Star game on Sunday night headlines the weekend - but there are five other events for fans to get stuck into across the three-day event

The All-Star weekend kicks off with the Rising Stars game on Friday, with its own round robin featuring a draft selected by a plethora of honorary coaches and NBA legends to be selected closer to the time.

The four teams are made up of players in their first and second years in the NBA - last year, the field was headlined by Mavericks No 1 pick Cooper Flagg, bar one team, which is made up entirely of players from the NBA's development affiliate, the G-League.

Saturday features the Shooting Stars contest, the three-point contest and the dunk contest.

If that wasn't enough, Friday's action finishes with the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, before the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) classic takes place early on the next day.

The play-in tournament at the beginning of April - taking place just after the end of the regular season, but before the playoffs - represents one of the most emotional and consequential weekends of the NBA season.

While the teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference are guaranteed a playoff spot, the teams that finish Nos. 7-10 in the standings are entered into the play-in. These teams will battle for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds.

Here is the NBA's overview of how it works:

Each conference's No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.

The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.

E ach conference's No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The losers are eliminated.

The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament.

The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference. The losing teams are eliminated.

The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference.

After 1,230 regular season games and a potential 98 playoff games - it will all come down to the 2027 NBA finals, which will be live on Sky Sports.

Last season's finals saw the Knicks only require five games to beat the Spurs and secure their first NBA championship in 54 years, prompting frenzied celebrations in America's biggest city that New York will be keen to recreate in 2026.

Tuesday 20 October - Boston Celtics @ Detroit Pistons - 8pm

Wednesday 21 October - Philadelphia 76ers @ New York Knicks - 12am

Wednesday 21 October - Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs - 2.30am

Saturday 24 October - Miami Heat @ Charlotte Hornets - 11pm

Tuesday 27 October - Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets - 2am

Wednesday 28 October - Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks - 12am

Wednesday 28 October - Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Lakers - 3am

Saturday 31 October - Portland Trail Blazers @ Utah Jazz - 7pm

Tuesday 3 November - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 12am

Thursday 5 November - Philadelphia 76ers @ Detroit Pistons - 12am

Tuesday 10 November - Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons - 12am

Wednesday 11 November - Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers - 1am

Wednesday 11 November - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trail Blazers - 4am

Friday 13 November - Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers - 12am

Tuesday 17 November - Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics - 12am

Wednesday 18 November - Detroit Pistons @ San Antonio Spurs - 1am

Wednesday 18 November - Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Clippers - 4am

Thursday 19 November - Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat - 12am

Tuesday 24 November - Brooklyn Nets @ Minnesota Timberwolves - 12.30am

Wednesday 25 November - Boston Celtics @ Washington Wizards - 1am

Wednesday 25 November - Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets - 3am

Wednesday 25 November - Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers - 10pm

Saturday 28 November - Orlando Magic @ Washington Wizards - 10pm

Tuesday 1 December - Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets - 12.30am

Wednesday 2 December - New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls - 1am

Wednesday 2 December - Utah Jazz @ Golden State Warriors - 4am

Tuesday 15 December - Philadelphia 76ers @ Orlando Magic - 12am

Wednesday 16 December - San Antonio Spurs @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 1am

Wednesday 16 December - Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers - 4am

Thursday 17 December - Washington Wizards @ Boston Celtics - 12am

Tuesday 22 December - New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 12am

Wednesday 23 December - Detroit Pistons @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 1am

Wednesday 23 December - Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors - 3.30am

Friday 25 December - San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks - 5pm

Friday 25 December - Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics - 7.30pm

Friday 25 December - Philadelphia 76ers @ Los Angeles Lakers - 10pm

Saturday 26 December - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves - 1am

Saturday 26 December - Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors - 3.30am

Tuesday 29 December - Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics - 1am

Tuesday 29 December - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets - 3.30am

Wednesday 30 December - Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks - 1am

Wednesday 30 December - Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers - 3.30am

Saturday 2 January - Cleveland Cavaliers @ Charlotte Hornets - 6pm

Tuesday 5 January - Chicago Bulls @ Indiana Pacers - 12am

Wednesday 6 January - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Houston Rockets - 1am

Wednesday 6 January - Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets - 3am

Friday 8 January - Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers - 6pm

Saturday 9 January - Denver Nuggets @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 10pm

Tuesday 12 January - Denver Nuggets @ New York Knicks - 12.30am

Tuesday 12 January - Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers - 3am

Wednesday 13 January - Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers - 1am

Wednesday 13 January - Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors - 4am

Thursday 14 January - New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics - 12am

Sunday 17 January - Portland Trail Blazers @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 8.30pm

Monday 18 January - Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 5pm

Monday 18 January - Philadelphia 76ers @ Atlanta Hawks - 7.30pm

Monday 18 January - Minnesota Timberwolves @ New York Knicks - 10pm

Tuesday 19 January - Houston Rockets @ Memphis Grizzlies - 12.30am

Wednesday 20 January - Charlotte Hornets @ Dallas Mavericks - 1am

Wednesday 20 January - Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets - 3am

Thursday 21 January - Chicago Bulls @ Brooklyn Nets - 12am

Monday 25 January - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Golden State Warriors - 1.30am

Tuesday 26 January - Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics - 12am

Tuesday 26 January - Sacramento Kings @ Denver Nuggets - 2.30am

Wednesday 27 January - Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs - 1am

Wednesday 27 January - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers - 4am

Saturday 30 January - Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 8pm

Saturday 30 January - San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors - 10.30pm

Monday 1 February - Houston Rockets @ Dallas Mavericks - 1.30am

Tuesday 2 February - Miami Heat @ Indiana Pacers - 12.30am

Tuesday 2 February - San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors - 3am

Wednesday 3 February - Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics - 1am

Wednesday 3 February - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Portland Trail Blazers - 4am

Monday 8 February - Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers - 12am

Monday 8 February - New York Knicks @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 2.30am

Tuesday 9 February - Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks - 12am

Tuesday 9 February - Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns - 2.30am

Wednesday 10 February - San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks - 1am

Wednesday 10 February - Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz - 3am

Monday 15 February - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Charlotte Hornets - 5pm

Monday 15 February - Philadelphia 76ers @ Dallas Mavericks - 7.30pm

Monday 15 February - San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat - 10pm

Tuesday 16 February - Indiana Pacers @ Golden State Warriors - 12.30am

Wednesday 17 February - Toronto Raptors @ Atlanta Hawks - 1am

Wednesday 17 February - Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Clippers - 4am

Saturday 20 February - Rising Stars - 2am

Saturday 20 February - HBCU Classic - 9pm

Sunday 21 February - All-Star Saturday - 1am

Monday 22 February - NBA All-Star Game - 1am

Sunday 28 February - Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks - 8.30pm

Monday 1 March - Boston Celtics @ Minnesota Timberwolves - 12am

Monday 1 March - Miami Heat @ Houston Rockets - 2.30am

Tuesday 2 March - Philadelphia 76ers @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 12am

Tuesday 2 March - Washington Wizards @ Phoenix Suns - 2.30am

Wednesday 3 March - Minnesota Timberwolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 1am

Wednesday 3 March - Los Angeles Clippers @ Portland Trail Blazers - 4am

Saturday 6 March - Boston Celtics @ Detroit Pistons - 12am

Monday 8 March - New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs - 12.30am

Monday 8 March - Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors - 3am

Tuesday 9 March - Charlotte Hornets @ Indiana Pacers - 12am

Tuesday 9 March - Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 2.30am

Wednesday 10 March - Cleveland Cavaliers @ Detroit Pistons - 1am

Wednesday 10 March - Portland Trail Blazers @ Golden State Warriors - 4am

Thursday 11 March - Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat - 12am

Sunday 14 March - Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets - 11.30pm

Monday 15 March - Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers - 2am

Monday 15 March - Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers - 11pm

Tuesday 16 March - Atlanta Hawks @ Dallas Mavericks - 1.30am

Wednesday 17 March - Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers - 12am

Wednesday 17 March - Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers - 3am

Sunday 21 March - New Orleans Pelicans @ Boston Celtics - 7pm

Sunday 21 March - San Antonio Spurs @ Philadelphia 76ers - 11.30pm

Monday 22 March - Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers - 2am

Monday 22 March - Indiana Pacers @ Orlando Magic - 11pm

Tuesday 23 March - Detroit Pistons @ Minnesota Timberwolves - 1.30am

Wednesday 24 March - Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat - 12am

Wednesday 24 March - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Phoenix Suns - 3am

Thursday 25 March - San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics - 12.30am

Monday 29 March - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves - 12.30am

Monday 29 March - Philadelphia 76ers @ Denver Nuggets - 3am

Tuesday 30 March - Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 12am

Tuesday 30 March - Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs - 2.30am

Wednesday 31 March - New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic - 1am

Wednesday 31 March - Houston Rockets @ Portland Trail Blazers - 4am

Thursday 1 April - Golden State Warriors @ Philadelphia 76ers - 12am

Saturday 3 April - New Orleans Pelicans @ Oklahoma City Thunder - 10pm

Sunday 4 April - Indiana Pacers @ Toronto Raptors - 8.30pm

Monday 5 April - Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks - 12.30am

Monday 5 April - San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers - 3am

Tuesday 6 April - Miami Heat @ Orlando Magic - 12am

Wednesday 7 April - New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks - 1am

Wednesday 7 April - Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors - 4am

Sky Sports On Demand offers a wide range of NBA documentaries as well as 10 of the best games from the 2025/26 season - including every Finals Game between Knicks and Spurs.

We also have 20 of the greatest games in the history of basketball, including classic All-Stars & Finals and epic moments from Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and many other NBA legends.

How to watch or stream the NBA in the UK and Ireland

TV: Sky Customers can watch all of our scheduled matches live on Sky Sports

App: Sky Customers can also watch on the Sky Sports app .

How to watch the NBA on mobile with the Sky Sports app

Head to the 'Live' section when a match is scheduled

Tap on the appropriate Sky Sports channel

Sign in with your Sky iD (*you'll only need to do this once)

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It's an app, so customers can sign up and stream instantly across over 60 devices . It offers contract-free membership options, so customers can cancel anytime!

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