Amazon Prime Video begins NBA coverage with October 24 doubleheader

Amazon Prime Video will commence its NBA broadcasting partnership on October 24, 2025, with an opening-week doubleheader featuring two playoff rematches. According to Amazon's announcement on August 13, 2025, the Boston Celtics will visit the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves hosting the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET.

The inaugural NBA on Prime season includes 67 regular season games, the Emirates NBA Cup, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, and NBA playoffs. This marks Amazon's entry into basketball broadcasting through its landmark 11-year media rights agreement announced on July 25, 2024, valued at an estimated $1.8 billion annually.

Prime Video will stream five consecutive Friday-night doubleheaders beginning October 31, featuring Emirates NBA Cup 2025 Group Play games. The series concludes on November 28 with a Black Friday doubleheader between the Milwaukee Bucks versus New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. and Dallas Mavericks versus Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m.

The Emirates NBA Cup 2025 tournament structure includes quarterfinals on December 9-10, semifinals on December 13, and the championship on December 16. All tournament games from the knockout rounds will stream exclusively on Prime Video.

Amazon has assembled a broadcast team featuring award-winning announcers and former NBA players. Play-by-play announcers include Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Michael Grady, and Eric Collins. Game analysts comprise Stan Van Gundy, Brent Barry, and Dell Curry. Sideline reporters feature Cassidy Hubbarth, Kristina Pink, and Allie Clifton.

The studio and analysis team includes Taylor Rooks as host, with studio analysts Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, and Udonis Haslem. In-game and studio analyst positions feature Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and Candace Parker.

Basketball fans can access NBA games through the Prime Video app on hundreds of compatible devices including smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and select smart TVs. Content can be downloaded for offline viewing on iOS, Android, and Fire devices.

Prime Video subscribers require an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually. Amazon offers discounted memberships at 50% cost for young adults and qualifying government assistance recipients. NBA League Pass will also become available through Prime Video Channels as a subscription add-on service.

The complete schedule of announced NBA on Prime games spans from October through December. The opening week doubleheader on October 24 features Boston Celtics at New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET and Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET.

Emirates NBA Cup Group Play games begin October 31 with Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET and Los Angeles Lakers versus Memphis Grizzlies at 9:30 p.m. ET. November 7 showcases Houston Rockets versus San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 p.m. ET and Golden State Warriors versus Denver Nuggets at 10 p.m. ET.

November 14 presents Houston Rockets versus New York Knicks at 7 p.m. ET and Golden State Warriors versus San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET. November 21 features Indiana Pacers versus Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET and Denver Nuggets versus Houston Rockets at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The Black Friday doubleheader on November 28 includes Milwaukee Bucks versus New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET and Dallas Mavericks versus Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET.

Tournament coverage continues with Emirates NBA Cup 2025 quarterfinals on December 9 and December 10, with matchups to be determined. December 13 features the semifinals, while December 16 presents the championship game.

The NBA partnership represents a significant component of Amazon's expanding sports portfolio, which includes NFL Thursday Night Football, WNBA games, NWSL soccer, and New York Yankees baseball. Prime Video also offers thousands of movies, series, and documentaries alongside programming from partners including Apple TV+, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, and MGM+ through add-on subscriptions.

Amazon's streaming advertising technology enables sophisticated audience targeting and real-time campaign optimization. The company's Connected TV advertising partnerships with Roku and Disney provide access to over 80 million households, creating substantial inventory for advertisers seeking premium sports content.

The NBA broadcasting deal extends beyond domestic coverage to include international distribution across Mexico, Brazil, and other territories. Prime Video will serve as the strategic partner for NBA League Pass internationally, expanding the global reach of Amazon's sports content strategy.

Amazon's sports programming strategy focuses on creating comprehensive entertainment experiences that integrate commerce capabilities. The "Shop the Show" feature allows viewers to discover products from favorite series, movies, and live sports programming, connecting content consumption directly to purchasing opportunities.

Prime Video's advertising technology includes programmatic guaranteed deals, contextual targeting options, and run-of-service inventory access. These capabilities enable advertisers to align campaigns with specific content categories or audience segments while maintaining guaranteed delivery standards.

The NBA partnership provides Amazon with premium live content that traditionally commands higher advertising rates. Industry data indicates that live sports programming generates simultaneous large audiences increasingly rare in fragmented streaming environments.

Amazon's artificial intelligence capabilities enhance the viewing experience through personalized recommendations, enhanced statistics integration, and multiview options. The company leverages billions of customer signals across its retail and media properties to optimize advertising targeting and campaign performance.

The basketball programming complements Amazon's broader content investment strategy, which includes high-profile entertainment projects and original productions. This approach positions Prime Video as a comprehensive entertainment destination while providing diverse advertising opportunities across sports, scripted content, and live events.

Prime Video's NASCAR coverage previously demonstrated the platform's ability to attract younger demographics, with approximately 2 million viewers per race representing the youngest audience among NASCAR broadcasters in over a decade. Similar demographic targeting potential exists for NBA programming.

The streaming service's integration with Amazon's broader ecosystem enables unique advertising measurement capabilities. Amazon Marketing Cloud provides comprehensive analytics across streaming, shopping, and browsing signals, allowing advertisers to assess full-funnel campaign performance and cross-media attribution.

Amazon's NBA investment reflects the company's strategy to capture television advertising expenditures as viewing habits migrate from traditional linear television to streaming platforms. The company's advertising revenue reached $15.7 billion in the second quarter of 2025, representing 22% year-over-year growth driven by Connected TV partnerships and premium content investments.

Timeline

• July 25, 2024: Amazon and NBA announce 11-year media rights agreement beginning with 2025-26 season
• August 13, 2025: Amazon announces NBA on Prime Video launch details and broadcast team
• October 24, 2025: NBA on Prime tips off with Celtics-Knicks and Lakers-Timberwolves doubleheader
• October 31, 2025: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 Group Play begins with first Friday-night doubleheader
• November 28, 2025: Black Friday doubleheader concludes Group Play games
• December 9-10, 2025: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 quarterfinals
• December 13, 2025: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 semifinals
• December 16, 2025: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 championship
• 2026: WNBA programming begins under separate 11-year agreement

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Summary

Who: Amazon Prime Video launches NBA broadcasting with 11-year partnership featuring games, Emirates NBA Cup, Play-In Tournament, and playoffs. Broadcasting team includes Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Stan Van Gundy, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and Candace Parker.

What: Prime Video begins NBA coverage October 24 with 67 regular season games annually, exclusive tournament coverage, and comprehensive playoff programming. Service includes opening-week doubleheader, five Friday-night doubleheaders, and Black Friday games.

When: NBA on Prime inaugural season commences October 24, 2025, with Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET). Emirates NBA Cup runs October 31 through December 16.

Where: Games stream globally on Prime Video across compatible devices including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. International distribution includes Mexico, Brazil, and additional territories through expanded packages.

Why: Amazon's NBA investment captures television advertising revenue as viewing migrates to streaming platforms, leveraging premium live content that generates large simultaneous audiences for sophisticated advertising targeting and commerce integration opportunities.