Last year, Nikola Jokić became only the third player to average a triple-double over a full season: 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists. He also recorded the league’s first 31-21-22 game. Jokić didn’t win a fourth MVP, but he did finish second in the voting.
Greatness was not the issue for the Denver Nuggets. Infrastructure was. Denver moved early. With three games left during the 2024-25 season, the Nuggets dismissed Michael Malone and elevated David Adelman.
The overhaul reached the frontcourt too: Michael Porter Jr. was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson, who will join new addition Tim Hardaway Jr. as 3-point threats. Bruce Brown returned to steady the second units. Jonas Valančiūnas arrived to anchor the five and give Adelman the option to play two bigs when matchups demand size. DaRon Holmes II is back from a right Achilles tear and competing for minutes. Denver did not reinvent itself. It refined what worked and patched what did not.
The NBA went through its own changes this offseason. 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 — and watching it will cost more than ever before.
Nuggets fans should be focused on pressing issues like, “Will Jokić win another MVP?” and “Will this deeper version of the roster help him out more?” 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.
Altitude Sports
Each NBA team has its own regional sports network, or RSN. A majority of Nuggets games will land on Altitude Sports, while 20 of those will be simulcast over the air on local networks 9NEWS (KUSA-TV) and My20 (KTVD-TV).
The Altitude Sports broadcast team includes play-by-play mainstay Chris Marlowe and his color commentary partner Scott Hastings, as well as reporter/analysts Christopher Dempsey and Katy Winge.
Local households can watch Altitude Sports with one of the aforementioned pay TV carriers or with a subscription to its streaming home, Altitude+. For all 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).
What you’ll need to watch these games: A pay TV package or a subscription to Altitude+ if you’re in the area, and NBA League Pass if you’re not.
Additional monthly cost: $19.95 for Altitude+; or $9-14 for NBA League Pass ($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.
Nuggets games on ESPN
Thursday, Oct. 23: at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10:30 p.m. (Christmas Day game also airing on ABC)
Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Dallas Mavericks, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30: vs. LA Clippers, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4: at New York Knicks, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 11: vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 25: vs. Boston Celtics, 10 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27: at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11: vs. Houston Rockets, 10 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.
Nuggets games on ABC
Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10:30 p.m. (Christmas Day game also airing on ESPN)
Sunday, Feb. 22: at Golden State Warriors, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14: at Los Angeles Lakers, 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 a couple of Denver games tipping off at 9 p.m. Mountain time. NBC games can also be streamed on Peacock.
Nuggets games on NBC
Tuesday, Nov. 11: at Sacramento Kings, 11 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 23: at Dallas Mavericks, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 20: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 1: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 24: at Phoenix Suns, 11 p.m.
Sunday, March 29: vs. Golden State Warriors, 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.
Nuggets games exclusively on Peacock
Monday, Oct. 27: at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 5: at Philadelphia 76ers, 8:30 p.m.
Monday, March 9: at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 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.
Nuggets games on Prime
Friday, Nov. 7: vs. Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. (NBA Cup)
Friday, Nov. 21: at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (NBA Cup)
Thursday, March 5: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.
Saturday, April 4: vs. San Antonio Spurs, 3 p.m.
Friday, April 10: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 10 p.m.
What you’ll need to watch these games: A Prime Video subscription, which starts at $8.99/month with ads.
Additional monthly cost: $9 for the Prime exclusives.
The ceiling for the Nuggets is unchanged: title contention built on Jokić’s control of the half court. None of this guarantees a parade. It does, however, restore the inevitability that defined their best version, the sense that the smarter, cleaner shot will arrive because the smartest player alive keeps finding it.
Franchise leaders entering 2025-26
Points — Alex English
Rebounds — Nikola Jokić
Assists —Nikola Jokić
Steals — Fat Lever
Blocks — Dikembe Mutombo
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