Inside the NBA will take a 25-date regular-season lap across ESPN and ABC in 2026-27, opening with ESPN’s Oct. 21 doubleheader and staying on the board through the April 11 regular-season finale. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will handle the desk coverage produced from TNT Sports’ Atlanta studios.
| Regular-season appearances | ESPN dates | ABC dates | First show | Final show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 18 | 6 | Oct. 21 | Apr. 11 |
Inside the NBA 2026-27 regular-season slate
| Date | Network | Game window |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Oct. 21 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader and NBA Tip-Off |
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader and NBA Tip-Off |
| Wednesday, Oct. 28 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Wednesday, Nov. 4 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Wednesday, Nov. 11 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Friday, Dec. 25 | ESPN and ABC | NBA Christmas Day presented by State Farm |
| Wednesday, Jan. 6 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Friday, Jan. 8 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Wednesday, Jan. 13 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Friday, Jan. 22 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Wednesday, Jan. 27 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Saturday, Jan. 30 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC and NBA Rivals Week quadrupleheader |
| Saturday, Feb. 6 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Wednesday, Feb. 10 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Friday, Feb. 12 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN |
| Saturday, Feb. 13 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Wednesday, Feb. 17 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Friday, Feb. 26 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Saturday, Feb. 27 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Friday, Mar. 5 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader |
| Saturday, Mar. 6 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Saturday, Mar. 13 | ABC | NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC |
| Sunday, Apr. 11 | ESPN | NBA on ESPN doubleheader and regular-season finale |
The desk is back in the weekly rotation
The early part of the schedule gives the crew a steady Wednesday assignment after Opening Week, with appearances on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 and 11 before the Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on Nov. 25. The first ABC stop comes Dec. 12, then the group works Christmas Day across ESPN and ABC.
January is the busiest stretch, with five ESPN doubleheaders before the Jan. 30 Rivals Week quadrupleheader on ABC. The crew then moves through February and March’s Saturday Primetime windows before closing on the league’s final regular-season day.
NBA Tip-Off is generally scheduled to start an hour before ESPN telecasts. For ABC broadcasts, the pregame show is usually set for 30 minutes before tip-off. The postgame edition of Inside the NBA is slated to begin immediately after the game coverage ends.
The studio lineup will remain centered on Johnson, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, alongside Barkley, O’Neal and Smith. Their coverage will surround major national windows with pregame, halftime and postgame segments.
The 2027 playoff plan for Inside the NBA, including the conference finals and NBA Finals, has not yet been set. Malika Andrews will continue to host NBA Countdown and NBA Today, with Countdown appearing across ESPN and ABC during the season and NBA Today maintaining its weekday, year-round league coverage. The regular-season schedule remains subject to change.
