The 2026 NBA playoffs are split among four channels this season with a multitude of broadcasting crews. Those looking to watch may turn on ESPN, ABC, NBC or Amazon Prime Video on any given night.
But who will be in charge of delivering the action to the fans? That’s where this year’s broadcasting crews come in. Each channel or streaming service has at least three different crews delivering the action.
There will be many familiar names, faces and voices this year, both from renowned broadcasters and NBA hall of famers.
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Who is calling the NBA playoffs for Amazon Prime?
The Prime broadcasts feature a group of announcers, with play-by-play broadcasters including Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan and Michael Grady.
Analysts on prime feature Brent Barry, Jim Jackson, Candace Parker and Stan Van Gundy. They will be joined by Dwayne Wade and Steve Nash, who will serve as game analysts, with Nash also contributing to studio coverage.
Other members of the studio coverage team include Taylor Rooks, Blake Griffin, Udonis Haslem, Dirk Nowitzki and Kyle Lowry.
Who is calling the NBA playoffs for ESPN and ABC?
ESPN and ABC will team up for this season’s playoff crews, with a rolling team of broadcasters.
The primary group features Mike Breen and his iconic “Bang!” as the play-by-play announcer, alongside Tim Legler, Richard Jefferson and Lisa Salters.
The secondary team features ESPN’s Dave Pasch, who also serves as the play-by-play announcer for the Arizona Cardinals. He’ll be joined by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Doris Burke.
The third team features ESPN and YES Network’s Ryan Ruocco. However, with Michael Malone taking the coaching job at UNC, Jay Bilas will fill the role for select playoff games, according to Front Office Sports.
Sideline reporters for the playoffs on ESPN and ABC include Lisa Salters and Malika Andrews, with the studio show being Charles Barkley’s “Inside the NBA.”
Here’s ESPN/ABC’s announcer teams for 2026 NBA Playoffs:
🏀 No. 1: Mike Breen-Tim Legler-Richard Jefferson-Lisa Salters
🏀 No. 2: Dave Pasch-Doris Burke
🏀 No. 3: Ryan Ruocco-@JayBilas
🏀 Reporters: Lisa Salters-Malika Andrews
🏀 Studio Show: Charles Barkley’s ‘Inside the NBA’ https://t.co/uVyoXdCeLd— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) April 14, 2026
MORE: Why did Nuggets fire Michael Malone? Timeline of how Malone landed UNC job
Who is calling the NBA playoffs for NBC?
The primary team for NBC has Mike Tirico on play-by-play with Reggie Miller as an analyst and Zora Stephenson as a sideline reporter. Jamal Crawford will join them for the first NBA playoff game as well.
Noah Eagles will be leading a crew as well on play-by-play, joined by Grant Hill as an analyst and Jordan Cornette as the sideline reporter.
A mix of broadcasters and reporters fill out the rest of the games. These include Robbie Hummel, Jason Benetti, Mark Followill and Chris Mannix as the sideline reporter.
The studio crew will include Maria Taylor, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.
NBA playoffs coverage 2026: TV channels, live stream
The playoffs will feature a multitude of games, and with it, a multitude of ways to watch. Three TV channels will stream the action for cable viewers.
There will also be games available on streaming services, notably Prime Video and Peacock. By the time the NBA Finals roll around, however, coverage will be exclusive to ABC.
Fans can also stream these playoff matchups through DIRECTV and select playoff games on the ESPN app.
MORE: When do the NBA playoffs start? Key dates, schedule, more for 2026
NBA playoffs schedule
Here is the anticipated schedule for each round of the NBA playoffs.
| Round | Anticipated Date |
| Play-In Tournament | April 14-17 |
| First Round | April 18-May 3 |
| Conference Semifinals | May 4 (may change to May 2 or 3) |
| Eastern Conference Finals | May 19 (may change to May 17) |
| Western Conference Finals | May 20 (may change to May 18) |
| NBA Finals | June 3 |