The 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tournament is underway. The NBA’s annual in-season tournament runs approximately six weeks, with the top team’s players earning upwards of $500,000 apiece in prize money. Will last year’s winner, the Milwaukee Bucks, make it two in a row?
The NBA Cup began with the group stage; The NBA’s 30 teams are divided into six groups of five, and after each team plays everyone in their group, the team with the best record advances to the knockout stage. Two wild card teams with the best second-place records also get a spot in the quarterfinals. From there on out, it’s a single-elimination tournament, with four quarterfinals held on Dec. 9 and 10, and the semifinals and final will be held on Dec. 13 and 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Advertisement
You can catch NBA Cup games on Prime Video, ESPN, NBC and NBA League Pass, with Prime Video holding exclusive rights to the playoffs and Championship Final in December. Find out how to watch the rest of the NBA Cup games below.
How to watch the 2025 NBA Cup:
Dates: Now through December 16
TV channel(s): ESPN, NBC, NBA TV
Streaming: ESPN, Prime Video, DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, NBA League Pass and more
2025 NBA Cup schedule:
There are more than 60 group stage games in the 2025 NBA Cup. Below is a list of every game this week.
You can check out the full NBA season schedule (complete with which channel every NBA Cup game is airing on here).
Advertisement
All times Eastern
Friday, Nov. 21
-
Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00 p.m. (Prime Video)
-
Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns, 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (Prime Video)
-
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
-
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz, 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
2025 NBA Cup Groups:
East Group A: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
East Group B: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
East Group C: New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets
West Group A: Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz
West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans
West Group C: Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs
Advertisement
What channels do I need to watch NBA Cup games live?
You can watch select NBA Cup group stage games on ESPN and NBC.
How to stream 2025 NBA Cup games:
You can tune in to ESPN and NBC on platforms like DirecTV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV. Games airing on ESPN will also be available on ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN unlimited. Games on NBC will be simulcast on Peacock.
The majority of NBA Cup group stage games will stream on NBA League Pass, while you can catch some group stage games and every playoff and Championship game on Prime Video.
Prime Video will be streaming ten of the NBA Cup’s group stage games and every playoff game, including this year’s Championship final on Dec. 16.
In addition to offering great coverage of the NBA Cup, you can also tune in to great original shows like Reacher, The Wheel of Time, and Pop Culture Jeopardy. Amazon also offers a free 30-day trial for new members to give the platform a test-drive before committing.
For $29.99, the ESPN unlimited package includes access to all of ESPN’s linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes, plus access to programming on ABC, ESPN+ content, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. That means fans will get coverage of more than 47,000 live events each year, including this several NBA Cup games.
Right now, for a limited time, you can bundle ESPN unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu and pay $29.99/month for 12 months — that’s like getting those other services free for a year. Even if you’re a current subscriber to Disney+, Hulu or even the bundle, you can still upgrade to this great deal.
DirecTV is currently offering its Choice tier (typically $108+/month with fees) for just $79.98 (after fees) for your first month.
DirecTV’s Choice tier gets you access to many of the channels you need to watch the NBA Cup, including ESPN and NBC. You’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN unlimited.
The best part is, currently, you can try all this out free for 5 days. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
(Photo: NBA League Pass)
With NBA League Pass, you can tune into hundreds of live and on-demand games each season including dozens of NBA Cup group stage games. A Premium plan lets fans stream on up to three devices at once with 4-game multi-view and 24/7 access to NBA TV. A basic plan costs $109.99 for the season, while a Premium plan will cost you $159.99.
More ways to watch the NBA Cup:
