Cleveland Cavaliers to Open Season on National TV and Make Streaming History

The Cavaliers open with national TV games, make streaming history on Peacock, and return to the NBA’s Christmas Day stage.

Feb 5, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) drives to the basket on Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (00) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin the 2025-26 season with multiple marquee appearances, highlighted by a historic streaming milestone and a return to the NBA’s most prestigious showcase dates.

The NBA recently announced that Cleveland will become the first team in league history to appear in a game streamed exclusively on Peacock. The Cavaliers will visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. ET to launch the debut edition of Peacock NBA Monday, a new weekly feature throughout the regular season. The night will also include Denver visiting Minnesota at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The Cavaliers will tip off their season on Wednesday, Oct. 22, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in a nationally televised game on ESPN. That contest will open a doubleheader and mark Cleveland’s first appearance since last season's 64-win campaign ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana.

ESPN will begin its 2025-26 regular-season game coverage with opening-week doubleheaders on Wednesday, Oct. 22 and Thursday, Oct. 23. pic.twitter.com/g7B7apbAeQ

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 12, 2025

For the first time since the 2017-18 season, Cleveland is part of the NBA’s annual Christmas Day slate, a tradition reserved for the league’s most popular and competitive teams.

The Cavaliers will face the Knicks at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 25, opening a five-game holiday schedule that also features San Antonio at Oklahoma City, Dallas at Golden State, Houston at the Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota at Denver. Cleveland last played on Christmas in a Finals rematch with Golden State during the 2017-18 season, the final year of LeBron James’ second stint with the franchise.

The spotlight remains on the Cavaliers on marquee dates

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers are also featured on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, hosting the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, Jan. 19, at 2:30 p.m. ET. That matchup will air on NBC and Peacock as part of a quadrupleheader including Milwaukee at Atlanta, Dallas at New York, and Boston at Detroit.

Despite falling short in the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the Cavaliers remain among the Eastern Conference favorites. They return their top five scorers from last season, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter, and Jarrett Allen, and added veterans Larry Nance Jr. and Lonzo Ball to fortify their rotation.

With national television slots, holiday appearances, and a groundbreaking streaming debut already on the calendar, Cleveland will enter the season with as much visibility as any team in the league. The journey begins in New York before the Cavaliers make streaming history less than a week later in Detroit on Peacock.