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Jan 19, 2026 7:00am PT
How to Watch the 2026 NBA on MLK Day Online Without Cable for Free
By
Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
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The NBA on MLK Day pays tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a slate of games that promote equality and activism. In 2026, there are nine games on the schedule, including four nationally-televised NBA games on Monday, Jan. 19.
MLK Day tips off with the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia with game time at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Peacock.
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It’s followed by Oklahoma City Thunder battling the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT, and then the Dallas Mavericks playing against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
The final game of MLK Day features the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons playing against each other at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan with tipoff at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. All four nationally-televised games livestream on Peacock. Check out a complete NBA on MLK Day schedule here.
NBCUniversal
Peacock
Peacock has the livestream for NBA on MLK Day games. In addition, the streaming service has access to hit movies and TV shows, such as “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Bad Guys 2,” “Nobody 2,” “How to Train Your Dragon” (2025), “Love Island USA,” “Bel-Air,” “The Traitors,” “St. Denis Medical,” “Stumble,” “Saturday Night Live” and others. It also features sports leagues, including the, NBA on NBC and “Sunday Night Football,” NFL on NBC, Premiere League, PGA, NASCAR, IMSA, Big Ten Football and others. Peacock starts at $10.99/month for the ad-supported plan.
In addition, cord-cutters can watch games with any live TV streaming service that carries NBC, like DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV.
DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV offers NBC with their “MySports” package and above with prices starting at $69.99 per month, while the service includes more than 20 channels — such as ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, FOX Sports, TNT and others.
The streamer has a free 5-day trial available, which is more than enough time to watch the NBA on MLK Day online for free. You can either cancel or keep the service after the free trial is over.
Sling TV
Sling TV
Sling is one of the best options for affordable live streaming is with the Sling Orange + Blue package, which goes for $33 for your first month of service ($65.99 per month afterwards). The package includes NBC. Please note: Pricing and channel availability are subject to your local TV market.
Sports fans can add the Sports Extra package to their plan for an additional $11/month to gain access to the NFL RedZone network.
Fubo
Fubo
Fubo is one of the best options for streaming NBA on MLK Day games on NBC. The service features four of the networks that broadcast post-season games, including FOX, ESPN, ABC and CBS (Fubo doesn’t include NBC). It even has more than 100 live TV channels for cable-free streaming. The streamer offers a 7-day free trial to try out the service before you commit.
Hulu
Hulu + Live TV
Starting at $89.99/month, Hulu + Live TV is a great option for live channel streaming NBA on MLK Day with access to NBC, along with more than 95 other channels, as well as access to hit originals on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited.
On Monday, Jan. 19, the 2026 NBA on MLK Day games livestream and broadcast live on Peacock and NBC starting at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. However, the best way to watch the game online without cable is with DirecTV.
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