The 2025–2026 NBA season brings a new chapter for the Toronto Raptors, with a retooled roster aiming to make a deeper playoff run. Building on last season’s momentum, fans are tuning in with high expectations and sharper eyes on player development, trades, and key matchups. As the team pushes for a stronger standing in the Eastern Conference, missing a game isn’t an option for loyal followers.
Access to every court-side moment depends entirely on choosing a service that offers complete, reliable NBA coverage. Partial access won’t cut it. Fans need consistent national broadcasts, regional sports networks, and live game availability. This is where DirecTV delivers a competitive edge.
With DirecTV’s robust sports packages, Raptors fans can catch nationally televised NBA games on ESPN, TNT, and ABC, plus access NBA TV and subscription-based NBA League Pass for out-of-market coverage. Local broadcasts through regional sports networks also remain tightly integrated for those following every Raptors tip-off from Toronto and beyond.
The 2025–2026 regular season features a stacked lineup for the Toronto Raptors, with several clashes that demand spotlight attention. They’ll open the season on the road against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, at Ball Arena—an immediate test of roster depth and offseason changes. The first home game at Scotiabank Arena brings Eastern Conference rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, in a rematch of last year's heated series.
Circle the November 22nd home game vs. the Boston Celtics and the January 12th showdown in Milwaukee—both scheduled as Friday night features with likely impact on conference standings. Toronto will also face the Los Angeles Lakers twice: once at home in December and again in February at Crypto.com Arena, where cross-conference narratives often take center stage.
A headliner among all dates: the Raptors host the Golden State Warriors on March 9th, aligning with their “Legends Night” to celebrate the 2019 NBA Championship run, offering both nostalgia and high-level basketball.
The NBA's national broadcast partners have selected the Raptors for 13 prime-time slots this season. ESPN will air six matchups, including both face-offs with the Miami Heat and the Julius Erving tribute night against the Sixers. TNT secured five games, highlighting the late-season duel vs. the Brooklyn Nets in April anticipated to carry playoff implications.
ABC reserved two Sunday matchups—the first against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden and the second, a marquee late-season battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This year, NBC joins the rotation for NBA Saturday Primetime, testing its new rights deal by showcasing the Raptors versus the Dallas Mavericks in a globally televised broadcast on February 15th.
As part of the NBA Global Games initiative, the Raptors will travel to Paris in January to face the Chicago Bulls at Accor Arena. This marks their second major international appearance in three years, underscoring the league’s plan to promote basketball beyond North America. The game, heavily promoted across European media channels, will also be available live on DirecTV through affiliated partner sports channels.
The final month of the season presents a brutal stretch: seven of their last ten games are against projected playoff teams. Encounters with the Hawks, Cavaliers, and Hornets—all within 15 days—could be decisive for postseason seeding. With the Eastern Conference expected to stay tight in the standings, each of these matchups holds measurable weight in shaping the Raptors’ playoff path.
The NBA's U.S. broadcasting landscape for the 2025–2026 season continues under a combination of legacy contracts and newly struck deals. Coverage comes from a mix of cable networks and digital platforms. ESPN and ABC retain packages focusing on marquee matchups, playoff coverage, and the NBA Finals. TNT remains a key player as well, holding rights to high-profile Thursday night games, the All-Star weekend, and select playoff series.
NBA TV, owned jointly by the league and Warner Bros. Discovery, continues operating as a supplemental channel broadcasting games that do not fall within higher-priority windows. NBC returned in 2025 under a multiyear agreement, securing Sunday afternoon and select primetime windows that historically belonged to ABC. Notably, Amazon Prime Video entered the mix this season. Through an exclusive digital partnership, the platform offers a curated selection of regular-season matchups, along with full streaming rights to the NBA In-Season Tournament.
You won’t find every Raptors game on national TV. Out of the 82-game regular-season schedule, only a fraction will receive nationwide coverage. ESPN, TNT, and ABC focus on games involving top-performing teams, marquee players, and rivalry matchups. Amazon Prime’s package features teams with high digital engagement and emerging storylines, including international followings like Toronto's.
Most games are designated as regional broadcasts, controlled by local networks in the teams' home markets—usually via RSNs (Regional Sports Networks). These do not air nationally unless picked up under league pass arrangements or featured on a streaming service with the correct rights.
This reshaped ecosystem means Raptors fans need to track game designations carefully. Whether a matchup appears on ESPN, is exclusive to Amazon Prime, or remains local via a Canadian sports network can affect where and how DirecTV users can access the broadcast.
Following the Toronto Raptors' 2025–2026 campaign requires navigating DirecTV's diverse channel lineup. Different networks split national and regional NBA broadcasting rights, and each plays a specific role in the overall coverage. Here's where to tune in.
ESPN remains one of the core platforms for national NBA coverage. With spotlight games running on Wednesday and Friday nights, ESPN carries regular-season matchups, high-profile rivalry clashes, and the NBA Playoffs. On DirecTV, ESPN is consistently available on Channel 206 across all U.S. regions.
The network also airs select NBA special presentations like the NBA Draft, pre- and post-game analysis, and injury updates, making it a reliable resource for staying up to date with the Raptors and league-wide developments.
TNT and NBA TV broadcast nationally but play different roles in the content mix. Where TNT focuses on marquee events and production value, NBA TV offers volume and breadth—box scores, live studio updates, documentary access, and more.
ABC primarily covers Saturday and Sunday games starting in the latter half of the season, leading into extensive playoff coverage, including the NBA Finals. On DirecTV, ABC is available through local network affiliates rather than a dedicated number—channel numbers vary by ZIP code.
As of the 2025–2026 season, NBC returns as an NBA broadcast partner after a two-decade absence. The peacock network is scheduled to air both Sunday and occasional weekday games under its extended sports contract with the league. NBC affiliates are available regionally via DirecTV, with exact channel numbers depending on the viewer’s local market.
Raptors fans often rely on regional coverage, particularly for non-national games. Although based in Canada, the team’s games may appear on U.S. RSNs under special rights agreements. For DirecTV customers in U.S. regions close to Ontario or with sports packages that include out-of-market RSNs, certain game feeds may be accessible. These typically require additional channel subscriptions and are covered in more depth in the next section.
For fans looking to catch every Toronto Raptors regular season game, understanding how Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) operate is key. NBA teams arrange exclusive broadcast agreements with specific RSNs to air a majority of their locally televised games. These regional broadcasters hold rights to home and select away games, especially those not picked up by national networks.
In the United States, this model creates challenges for fans of non-U.S. teams like the Raptors. Because the team's home broadcasts are based in Canada, the games don't fall under the umbrella of a U.S.-based RSN. This has led to a unique setup regarding availability.
In Canada, every Toronto Raptors game airs on either TSN or Sportsnet. These two networks alternate coverage throughout the season. TSN (The Sports Network), owned by Bell Media, and Sportsnet, owned by Rogers Sports & Media, hold long-term broadcasting rights with the Raptors.
Both networks produce their own coverage independently, including different camera setups, commentary crews, and digital extras. For Canadian viewers watching via DirecTV (such as cross-border satellite access), these two channels are the primary destination for Raptors games.
Viewers in the United States do not have direct access to TSN or Sportsnet via DirecTV. These channels are not distributed to U.S. households through standard satellite or cable providers due to licensing limitations rooted in national broadcast rights. Therefore, regular Raptors broadcasts aired through Canadian RSNs are not part of DirecTV's channel lineup on their own.
Occasionally, Raptors games aired in Canada are simulcast on U.S. national networks such as ESPN, TNT, or NBA TV. In those cases, DirecTV subscribers across the United States can watch the game via their local or premium sports channel package. However, the feed will be the U.S. production, not the Canadian RSN version.
For fans outside of Canada who want access to regional broadcasts of the Raptors, NBA League Pass becomes a viable solution. This platform can deliver Canadian RSN feeds when games aren’t airing on national U.S. broadcasters. NBA League Pass, fully integrated into DirecTV’s system, sometimes includes the TSN or Sportsnet coverage, blackout rules permitting.
In instances where a Raptors game is selected for national broadcast, such as a primetime fixture or a high-profile matchup, the game will be shown on ESPN, TNT, or ABC — in which case it overrides the regional RSN feed for all viewers, including in Canada.
Want the Canadian broadcast experience while in the U.S.? League Pass or a VPN-enabled Canadian DirecTV package is the closest workaround, but it doesn't occur consistently. Raptors fans should expect limited RSN access through DirecTV alone unless they’re within Canada’s broadcast region.
DirecTV includes several base packages that provide access to nationally televised NBA games. Both Choice and Ultimate packages carry channels like ESPN, ABC, and TNT — the primary networks broadcasting marquee NBA matchups, including select Toronto Raptors games.
The Choice package includes over 200 channels and features ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV. With Ultimate — which expands to more than 250 channels — you also get additional RSNs in-market. If the Raptors appear in nationally broadcast games, these packages cover them without issue.
For broader NBA coverage, the DirecTV Sports Pack enhances access to 40+ Regional Sports Networks (RSNs), delivering live coverage and pre/post-game shows across multiple markets. It includes networks like:
Although the Raptors don't have a direct RSN presence in the U.S., this pack enhances your NBA perspective by unlocking access to out-of-market team coverage, including teams they frequently match up against.
To follow all possible Raptors games—including those aired outside national broadcasting slots—combine your core package with the NBA League Pass (covered in the next section) or consider adding the Sports Pack to your Choice or Ultimate subscription. Customizing your DirecTV plan this way ensures visibility into both headline matchups and the less-publicized showdowns.
DirecTV simplifies the upgrade process through your online account or by using the on-screen guide on your set-top box. Typically, the Sports Pack adds a monthly fee of approximately $13.99, though pricing can vary by location and promotional offers.
NBA League Pass on DirecTV offers access to more than 1,200 out-of-market regular season games across the league, including Toronto Raptors matchups not airing nationally or locally in your area. This package enables fans to follow the Raptors throughout the 2025–2026 season with live broadcasts, replays, and condensed game versions—all without commercial interruptions.
Every subscription includes both home and away broadcast feeds, giving viewers a choice in commentary teams. For those who can’t catch games live, on-demand playback is available through the DirecTV platform.
New and existing DirecTV customers can add NBA League Pass by navigating to channel 750 or visiting their account at directv.com. The process takes less than five minutes. After subscribing, channels 751–768 will unlock and carry live NBA game feeds throughout the season.
Subscribers can also enroll via phone by calling DirecTV customer service or by using the MyAT&T app. Billing appears as a one-time charge or in monthly installments, depending on the chosen plan at signup.
Local blackout restrictions apply when a game is broadcast in your region by a regional sports network or a national carrier such as ESPN or TNT. In those cases, NBA League Pass will not stream the game in real time for viewers in affected ZIP codes.
For example, if the Raptors play the Knicks and the game airs regionally in Toronto or nationally in the U.S., viewers in the local market area and nationally may see a blackout on the League Pass feed. These restrictions hinge on NBA contractual agreements with broadcasters and are enforced automatically via geolocation.
Both options support multiple viewing formats, including HD and access via mobile or tablet through the DirecTV app. However, blackout restrictions apply equally across both packages.
DirecTV Stream delivers live basketball without the need for a satellite dish. Unlike its satellite counterpart, which requires installation and a set-top box, DirecTV Stream operates over your internet connection. Subscribers can start watching with no hardware setup, login delays, or technician visits. It mirrors much of the channel lineup of traditional DirecTV, including all the major national broadcasters of NBA action.
For fans looking to cut the cord but keep their Raptors coverage intact, DirecTV Stream offers the same access to ESPN, TNT, ABC, and select Regional Sports Networks — depending on the chosen package and location.
DirecTV Stream supports a wide range of streaming platforms, ensuring smooth access to Raptors games on virtually any setup. Users can watch on:
DirecTV Stream brings flexibility, high-definition quality, and real-time broadcasts. There's no annual contract, making it feasible to subscribe during the NBA season and pause in the off-season. Cloud DVR is included, which allows recording of live games for later viewing — essential when tip-offs coincide with other events.
On the downside, RSN coverage is geo-restricted. Some Raptors fans in U.S. markets may not access all games due to licensing limitations. Also, the streaming experience depends heavily on your internet speed — 8 Mbps per stream is recommended for HD, and at least 25 Mbps for reliable 4K Ultra HD.
The DirecTV app is available for download through both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Once installed, users can sign in using their DirecTV account credentials. After login, access to live and on-demand content—including Toronto Raptors games—becomes available immediately, depending on your package.
Live Raptors coverage can be streamed through the app when your DirecTV subscription includes channels like ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, or regional sports networks such as TSN4 or Sportsnet Ontario where applicable. Simply navigate to the “Live TV” tab, select the appropriate channel airing the game, and begin watching in real time on mobile.
Missed a game? The DirecTV app supports offline viewing. After a Raptors game airs, navigate to the “On Demand” section, find the recorded broadcast, and tap the download icon. Once downloaded to your device, you can watch without an internet connection—ideal for commuters or travelers catching up later.
Streaming NBA games on mobile comes with a few caveats. Due to league blackout policies, certain live games may be unavailable in specific geographic areas, even if you have the correct package. Additionally, mobile streaming is only accessible within the United States and often limited to devices connected to a U.S. IP address. Verify blackout eligibility using your ZIP code in your DirecTV account settings, and ensure location services are enabled to access all available content.
NBA blackout restrictions apply based on regional broadcasting agreements. When a local broadcaster or regional sports network (RSN) has exclusive rights to a game in a specific market, national or out-of-market viewers can't access that broadcast in real-time through certain platforms, including NBA League Pass. DirecTV abides by these rights agreements, which means viewers in or near Toronto—or the opposing team’s local market—may encounter games marked as “blacked out.” The intention is to protect the ratings of regional broadcasts and honor exclusivity deals.
Expect blackouts primarily in these scenarios:
By structuring your DirecTV setup around comprehensive coverage, you can reduce the number of games affected by blackouts. Here's how:
When blackouts hit, you’re not locked out completely. DirecTV users can leverage several catch-up options that maintain service value:
Understanding the blackout system ensures you’re never surprised when a game doesn’t appear live. With a few proactive choices, you can still watch every Raptors possession, either live or the moment the game ends.
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