The NBA Preseason 2026 is underway in Germany without any free-to-air television broadcasts, as basketball fans must rely on paid options to watch matchups ahead of the regular season opening on October 20, 2026, spox.com reported.
Where to watch NBA Preseason games in Germany
Basketball fans searching for live broadcasts of the 2026 preseason will not find games on traditional free-to-air television or through standard sports packages in Germany. Spox.com reported that neither Sky nor Amazon Prime Video carries preseason fixtures during the exhibition window that began on October 4, 2026. Instead, supporters wanting live coverage must purchase a subscription to the NBA League Pass, which serves as the sole broadcaster for the exhibition calendar across the league’s 30 teams.
The exhibition schedule includes notable early matchups such as the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors on October 5, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the New Orleans Pelicans on October 7, and the Chicago Bulls meeting the Phoenix Suns on October 8. Further fixtures feature the Dallas Mavericks against the Houston Rockets on October 9, the Boston Celtics playing the Philadelphia 76ers on October 11, and the Golden State Warriors taking on the Sacramento Kings later that same day. The preseason schedule continues with the Toronto Raptors meeting the New York Knicks on October 14, and concludes key showcases with the Orlando Magic facing the Miami Heat alongside the Chicago Bulls playing the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 17.
Broadcasting rights shift for the regular season
How professional basketball is broadcast in Germany changed after American conglomerates Comcast and Amazon won international rights auctions, basketball-world.news reported. Previous broadcast partners DAZN and free-to-air channel ProSieben Maxx no longer hold rights to the league. Comcast transferred its newly acquired European distribution rights to its subsidiary Sky, which plans to broadcast over 100 live games during the regular campaign across television and streaming via WOW and SkyGo, according to basketball-world.news reporting.
Concurrently, Amazon secured a package through its Prime Video service to air at least 66 regular-season games for the 2026/27 campaign, which runs from October 20, 2026, through mid-April 2027. Basketball-world.news noted that Amazon’s coverage includes the Play-In tournament, one-third of the postseason contests, and exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. While most broadcasts will utilize standard American feeds featuring German NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki among the expert analysts, Amazon plans dedicated local coverage featuring pre-game and post-game analysis for 29 marquee primetime matchups alongside familiar broadcast personnel.
NBA League Pass provides full access to every fixture
German viewers seeking comprehensive access to every fixture across the 30 franchises must utilize the NBA League Pass as a paid subscription service, because neither the preseason nor the regular season features live coverage on free television. While standard Prime Video membership grants access to Amazon’s selected games and Sky packages cover their designated broadcast inventory, viewers requiring absolute continuity across the entire league schedule must acquire the standalone digital pass.
Frequently asked questions about NBA broadcasts
Are any preseason games broadcast on German television? Spox.com confirmed that no preseason fixtures appear on free television or through pay-TV providers Sky and Amazon Prime Video, leaving the NBA League Pass as the only live viewing option.
Which broadcasters hold rights for the regular season? Basketball-world.news reported that Sky and Amazon Prime Video share the primary German distribution rights for the regular campaign, replacing previous partners DAZN and ProSieben Maxx.
How many games will Amazon Prime Video show? Amazon provides coverage for at least 66 regular-season games, alongside the Play-In tournament, one-third of the playoff schedule, and the NBA Finals, according to basketball-world.news.
When does the regular season begin? The 2026/27 regular season tips off on October 20, 2026, and runs through mid-April 2027.
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