How to stream the Utah Jazz in 2025-26: TV schedule, blackout rules and new broadcasters

Saxophones? Where we’re going, we don’t need saxophones. The Utah Jazz are their own kind of symphony — one with a 7-foot Finnish conductor and a trick-shooting black bear.

This year’s Jazz are not expected to compete atop the Western Conference. It’s a crowded playoff field, and Utah is on its own timeline for reconstruction. Supporters simply want to see direction and momentum. Lauri Markkanen is the All-Star holdover who will be watched around the trade deadline. Ace Bailey is the new face of the team, and this June’s fifth overall draft pick has already teased his shot-making potential. He’ll immediately chase Rookie of the Year honors as he feels out the pro game.

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.

Jazz fans should be focused on pressing issues like, “Is Bailey a franchise cornerstone?” and “What is the best John Coltrane album?” Any confusion around the viewing process itself should be cleared up by the end of this guide.

Make sure you’re following the NBA on The Athletic. Our roster includes incisive writers like Sam Amick, Fred Katz, John Hollinger and Joe Vardon. The site’s NBA podcasts are consistently fun and informative. And don’t forget to keep up with the team feed.

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.

KJZZ and Jazz+

Most NBA teams have their own regional sports network, or RSN. But under Ryan Smith’s ownership, the Jazz have shifted away from the traditional RSN model.

Once AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain shuttered in 2023, the franchise opted for over-the-air games on KJZZ. That means all local households with a broadcast antenna can watch regional Jazz games for free. The channel is also on select pay TV carriers. Folks without a TV setup can stream through a subscription called Jazz+, which costs $19.99 per month.

The telecast’s play-by-play is handled by Craig Bolerjack, an industry veteran who debuted on Jazz broadcasts 20 years ago. He’s joined by analyst Thurl Bailey, a former bespectacled Jazz big man who was drafted seventh overall in 1983. Occasionally, we’ll get feature reporting from Holly Rowe, Utah native and national fixture in ESPN programming.

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). That means extra looks at Jazz Bear:

NBA League Pass also gives subscribers access to NBA TV, which will air 60 regular-season contests. The two Jazz games that will be broadcast on NBA TV will also be available locally on KJZZ and Jazz+.

What you’ll need to watch these games: A broadcast antenna, pay TV package or subscription to Jazz+ 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.

Jazz games on ESPN

• No games scheduled

What you’ll need to watch ESPN/ABC 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 prime-time tipoffs for viewers in Utah. NBC games can also be streamed on Peacock.

Jazz games on NBC

• Tuesday, Jan. 27: vs. LA Clippers, 10 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.

Jazz games exclusively on Peacock

• Monday, Feb. 23: at Houston Rockets, 9:30 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.