No one reflects the evolution of pro basketball superstardom like the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s a shimmering through line that connects Jerry West to Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant to LeBron James. The latest all-world Laker, of course, is Luka Dončić.
The February trade for Dončić rocked the league and shook up an entire industry. The supermax extension he signed this summer keeps him in purple and gold for at least two more seasons, with a player option for 2028-29. With Dončić, James and Austin Reaves as a “big three,” these Lakers harbor title hopes and attract all kinds of national attention. Once again, it is showtime along South Figueroa Street.
The NBA will look and sound different this season. Watching it will also cost more than ever before. The league has new broadcast partners (plural) for the first time since 2002. Cable network TNT is out; subscription services Prime and Peacock are in. That expands the NBA’s total reach, but it also brings new restrictions and additional apps to the weekly TV rotation.
Lakers fans should be focused on pressing issues like, “How long will James be sidelined?” and “Will the center rotation hold up?” Any confusion around the viewing process itself should be cleared up by the end of this guide.
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All times listed below are ET. All prices are updated as of October 2025.
You can watch in-market and nationally televised NBA games on Fubo (Stream Free Now). Out-of-market viewers can stream regional games with NBA League Pass.
Pay TV base
It begins, as things do, with eyeballs and an internet connection. Here are the most common options for cable, satellite and streaming:
- Fubo
- Hulu Live TV
- YouTube TV
- DirecTV’s “Choice” package
- Dish’s “America’s Top 120+” package
- Xfinity’s “Sports & News” TV + internet plan
- Verizon Fios’ “More Fios” plan
- Sling’s “Orange & Blue” plan with its “Sports Extra” add-on, or single-day access passes
Average monthly cost: $85-100.
Covers: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, NBC and most regional sports networks.
Spectrum SportsNet
Each NBA team has its own regional sports network, or RSN. A majority of games will land on these respective local channels. The Lakers’ RSN is Spectrum SportsNet.
Bill Macdonald has been the play-by-play voice of the team since 2011. He grew up in Corona del Mar and went to college at USC. Stu Lantz flanks him for commentary and analysis. Lantz was a Laker himself from 1974-77, and he’s been a Lakers broadcaster for almost four decades now.
Local households will get all the Spectrum games with one of the pay TV providers that carries it. Easier said than done, of course. Frustratingly, L.A. residents can only access Spectrum on Charter, DirecTV and AT&T. Those in the surrounding areas of Orange County, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Palos Verdes can also use Cox.
For the far-away fans, out-of-market regional games are included on NBA League Pass. The only events blacked out on League Pass are prime-time national spots and in-market RSN broadcasts. League Pass has different viewing options for home and away presentations, plus an in-arena feed that shows the JumboTron misadventures instead of commercials (if you get the premium version).
NBA League Pass also gives subscribers access to NBA TV, which will air 60 regular-season contests. The eight Lakers games that will be broadcast on NBA TV will also be available locally on Spectrum SportsNet.
What you’ll need to watch these games: A pay TV package if you’re in the area, and NBA League Pass if you’re not.
Additional monthly cost for out-of-market fans: $9-14 ($109.99/season on one device, $159.99/season for up to three devices).
Got it? Good. Now, let’s prepare for the main-stage action. Here’s how the national TV rotation looks this season:
- Sunday* — ABC/ESPN and NBC/Peacock
- Monday — Peacock
- Tuesday — NBC/Peacock
- Wednesday — ESPN
- Thursday* — Prime Video
- Friday — Prime Video and ESPN*
- Saturday* — ABC/ESPN and Prime Video
* starts midseason
ESPN
This is the home of Mike Breen’s “bang!” call, which has punctuated basketball’s biggest moments across the 21st century. ESPN’s other play-by-play options are Ryan Ruocco, Mark Jones and Dave Pasch. In a convoluted move emblematic of the current broadcast business, “Inside the NBA” with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson has been licensed to the Walt Disney Company. Starting this season, the Chuck-Shaq-Jet-Ernie studio show will still be produced by TNT Sports but air on ESPN and ABC.
Lakers games on ESPN
- Wednesday, Oct. 29: at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 5: vs. San Antonio Spurs, 10 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 12: at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. (Christmas Day game also airing on ABC)
- Wednesday, Jan. 7: at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Jan. 28: at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 20: vs. LA Clippers, 10 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 18: at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m.
ABC
The other home of Breen’s “bang,” since ABC and ESPN are intertwined under Disney. ABC games can generally feel a bit bigger and more glamorous, because they draw a bigger audience over the air and because they fall on weekends. This is also where the NBA Finals go down. Of note, the network demoted (and then extended) Doris Burke, while Tim Legler got called up to the finals team with Breen and Richard Jefferson.
Lakers games on ABC
- Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. (Christmas Day game also airing on ESPN)
- Saturday, Jan. 24: at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 7: vs. Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 28: at Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 8: vs. New York Knicks, 3:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 14: vs. Denver Nuggets, 8:30 p.m.
What you’ll need to watch these games: ABC is free over the air. ESPN comes with a pay TV package, or a subscription to ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month).
NBC
It’s the return of “Roundball Rock.” This might be the best theme music in all of sports broadcasting. It has inspired rap samples and “SNL” skits and … this remix with Kawhi Leonard’s laugh.
NBC last aired NBA games in a dozen-year stretch between 1990 and 2002. It aligned with the religious experience that was Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, and it built legends around Marv Albert and Bob Costas. Mike Tirico leads the new play-by-play crew; he also does “Sunday Night Football” for the network. Other commentators for this NBC reboot include Noah Eagle, Terry Gannon and Michael Grady.
NBC has “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” doubleheaders on TV, with some 8 p.m. Pacific time tipoffs for viewers on the West Coast. NBC games can also be streamed on Peacock.
Lakers games on NBC
- Tuesday, Oct. 21: vs. Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 25: vs. LA Clippers, 11 p.m. (NBA Cup)
- Tuesday, Jan. 20: at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 1: at New York Knicks, 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 22: vs. Boston Celtics, 6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 10: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 11 p.m.
- Sunday, April 5: at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.
Peacock
Like ABC, NBC gets picked up for free with a broadcast antenna (rabbit ears never went out of style). But NBCUniversal is also trying to maximize Peacock, its over-the-top subscription service already building out a presence in college football and Premier League soccer. This season’s Peacock games are on Mondays, and most weeks have two or three exclusives stacked up to start the week.
Lakers games exclusively on Peacock
- Monday, Dec. 1: vs. Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.
- Monday, Jan. 12: at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.
- Monday, Feb. 9: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 10 p.m.
- Monday, March 16: at Houston Rockets, 9 p.m.
What you’ll need to watch these games: NBC is free over the air. Peacock subscriptions that include live sports start at $10.99/month with ads.
Additional monthly cost: $11-17 for the Peacock exclusives.
Prime Video
It was only a matter of time, really. The Amazon live broadcast team already snapped up NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” and a round of WNBA games. Its basketball buy-in starts this fall. Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan are two of the best, most recognizable voices in both basketball and football. They’ll do the lead play-by-play assignments, along with Eric Collins (the Charlotte Hornets guy!) and Michael Grady (he’s splitting between NBC and Prime).
Prime has the knockout rounds of this year’s NBA Cup, plus the Play-In Tournament and select playoff games. Prime users can also link their NBA League Pass to use in the app.
As we can see, few (if any) teams command national TV attention like these Lakers. JJ Redick had one of the wilder coaching debuts in league history, from the Dončić trade to the Bron-and-Bronny vortex. We don’t know what his sophomore follow-up will look like, but we do know it will be watched far and wide.
Franchise leaders entering 2025-26
- Points — Kobe Bryant
- Rebounds — Elgin Baylor
- Assists — Magic Johnson
- Steals — Kobe Bryant
- Blocks — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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