You Won't Be Able to Escape Giannis's Heat This Season

The acquisition of Antetokounmpo returns the national spotlight to Miami

Apr 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (13) dunks the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Heat are back where they believe they belong: on the national stage.

With the NBA releasing its full 2026-27 regular-season schedule, Miami will have 25 games featured across the league’s national television and streaming partners. That total puts the Heat among the NBA’s most prominently featured teams, a significant jump in visibility that reflects the impact of the franchise’s blockbuster offseason trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The two-time MVP is set to make his Miami debut on Oct. 21, Miami's opening night, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, officially beginning a new era for the Heat.

According to the schedule, Miami’s 25 national games will be spread across ESPN (seven), Prime Video (six), NBC (five), Peacock (four) and ABC (three). For a franchise that has spent recent seasons outside the league’s most heavily televised group, the change is just one sign that the view of Miami is turning back to where it once was.

In chart form, with change from last year pic.twitter.com/pz6RYR0pXX

— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) August 13, 2026

The accompanying graphic tells the story. Miami sits at No. 10 in the league with 25 national games, trailing only the teams that have become regular fixtures of the NBA’s biggest broadcasts. The Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks lead the way with 34 apiece, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have 30. Miami’s 25 puts the Heat ahead of several other prominent teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Miami only had 5 Nationally televised games last season.

And the schedule is filled with the kind of games that come with being a marquee franchise again.

Miami will appear on Black Friday in New York against the Knicks, giving fans a nationally televised matchup against the defending champions. The Heat will then get one of the NBA’s biggest annual stages on Christmas Day, traveling to Boston to face the Celtics. Giannis and the Heat will also host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Presidents Day, Feb. 15, in another nationally televised matchup.

Here’s the NBA’s complete national TV schedule for the 2026-27 regular season: pic.twitter.com/b3gbYW2oZj

— Ben Huddleston (@sportswithben1) August 13, 2026

Those games are more than convenient television windows. They are evidence of how quickly the perception surrounding Miami has changed.

The Heat have long carried a national profile because of their history, culture and success under Erik Spoelstra. But star power matters and bringing Giannis to South Beach has immediately put Miami back into the league’s premier broadcast rotation.

Now, the Heat have the spotlight. The next step is proving they deserve to keep it.

The road to the 2027 Larry O’Brien Trophy is officially mapped out. With Giannis leading the way, Miami will enter the season with plenty of national attention, and considerably higher expectations.