NBA Cup 2026 Schedule: Cup Nights, Group Play, Knockouts and the Dec. 11 Final in Indianapolis

The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 begins on Fri., Oct. 30 and concludes on Fri., Dec. 11 with the Championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, according to the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA.com says the competition “begins on Oct. 30 and concludes Dec. 11 with the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Championship.”

This page puts every round on one dated table with its weekday and the network facts the league has confirmed. A one-page printable of the same dates is further down.

What are the NBA Cup 2026 dates?

NBA.com lists Group Play on Oct. 30 and on Nov. 6, 13, 20, 24, 25 and 27. The Quarterfinals are Dec. 4 and 5, the semifinals are Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9, and the Championship is on Friday, Dec. 11. The weekdays below are our own calculation from those dates.

Round	Date	Weekday	What the NBA says
Group Play	Oct. 30	Friday	Competition begins; a Cup Night
Group Play	Nov. 6	Friday	A Cup Night
Group Play	Nov. 13	Friday	A Cup Night
Group Play	Nov. 20	Friday	A Cup Night
Group Play	Nov. 24	Tuesday	NBC and Peacock air two Group Play games
Group Play	Nov. 25	Wednesday	Three Group Play games, the day before Thanksgiving
Group Play	Nov. 27	Friday	A Cup Night; last Group Play date
Quarterfinals	Dec. 4 and 5	Friday and Saturday	Played in NBA team markets
Semifinals	Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9	Tuesday and/or Wednesday	On Prime Video
Championship	Dec. 11	Friday	Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis; on Prime Video

NBA.com gives the semifinal date as “Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9”, so the split between the two nights is not in the sources we used.

What are Cup Nights?

In its Aug. 13, 2026 release on the 2026-27 regular season schedule, NBA Communications describes “60 games on ‘Cup Nights’ every Friday from Oct. 30 through Nov. 27.” Those Fridays are Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Nov. 24 and Nov. 25 are the two Group Play dates that fall outside the Friday pattern.

The Nov. 25 date sits on the day before Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, Nov. 26. Our Thanksgiving date page has that holiday’s details.

How are the groups set?

NBA.com says all 30 teams “have been randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference,” based on 2025-26 records. This page does not list the groups, since we did not copy them from the league’s page. Group Play has 60 games in total, according to NBA.com’s schedule article.

Where can I watch the NBA Cup games?

The networks that the league has confirmed so far:

• Group Play: NBA.com says that of the 60 total Group Play games, 15 will be broadcast across Prime Video, NBC and ESPN. NBA Communications adds that NBC and Peacock will air two Group Play games on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
• Knockout Rounds: Prime Video will present all seven games, including the two semifinals and the Championship, according to NBA Communications.

Game-by-game networks and tip times for Group Play are not in the sources we used, so they are not listed here. Check NBA.com before each game night.

Is there a printable NBA Cup 2026 schedule?

Yes. The one-page timeline lists all ten dates or date ranges from Oct. 30 to Dec. 11, with weekdays. Pin it beside the November 2026 printable calendar and the December 2026 printable calendar to see where the Cup falls among other plans.

If you follow other sports this fall, the Monday Night Football schedule lists the Monday games through Jan. 4, 2027, and the World Series 2026 schedule has the baseball dates. The College Football Playoff rankings schedule covers the college season.