The Emirates NBA Cup tips off on Friday, 31 October, and you can watch it live in the UAE on Prime Video. The in-season tournament features all 30 teams and runs through November, with Knockout rounds in December and the championship game in Las Vegas. It sits inside a long-term media deal that also brings regular-season games and WNBA coverage to Prime Video in our region. 

What is the Emirates NBA Cup?

The Emirates NBA Cup is the league’s in-season tournament, played inside the regular season for extra stakes and bragging rights.

• All 30 NBA teams compete
• Four Group Play games per team
• East and West conference groups
• The top eight advance to the Knockouts

The format is simple. Each team plays four times in Group Play, split home and away, across conference groups. The top eight reach the Quarterfinals; the winners then move to the Semifinals and Final. It’s fast, high-pressure basketball designed to add heat to the first half of the season. 

How to watch in the UAE

Prime Video is streaming the entire competition live in the UAE and across MENA, including every Knockout game in December.

• Live, exclusive streaming in the UAE
• Coverage spans Group Play and all seven Knockout games
• Part of “NBA on Prime” in the region

If you’re setting up your watchlist for the month, our Prime Video October guide is a handy reference for what's on the platform. For broader Prime Video picks, see Tbreak’s monthly round-up for October 2025. 

Dates, format and key fixtures

Group Play runs from Friday, 31 October to Friday, 28 November. Knockouts follow in December, finishing with the championship game in Las Vegas.

• Group Play: 31 Oct to 28 Nov
• Quarterfinals: 9–10 Dec
• Semifinals: 13 Dec
• Final: 16 Dec, Las Vegas

Highlighted fixtures on Prime Video include these Fridays in UAE time:

• 24 Oct: Celtics vs Knicks; Timberwolves vs Lakers
• 31 Oct: Celtics vs 76ers; Lakers vs Grizzlies (Cup tip-off)
• 7 Nov: Rockets vs Spurs; Warriors vs Nuggets
• 14 Nov: Rockets vs Knicks; Warriors vs Spurs
• 21 Nov: Pacers vs Cavaliers; Nuggets vs Rockets
• 28 Nov (Black Friday): Bucks vs Knicks; Mavericks vs Lakers
• 5 Dec: Lakers vs Celtics; Mavericks vs Thunder
• 15 Jan (Berlin Game): Grizzlies vs Magic; plus Thunder vs Rockets; Knicks vs Warriors
• 19 Feb: Pistons vs Knicks; Celtics vs Warriors; Lakers vs Warriors
• 9 Apr: Celtics vs Knicks

Those dates are listed in Prime Video’s NBA schedule highlights for our region, with Cup games labelled where relevant. 

NBA on Prime: what else is included

This season’s coverage is part of Prime Video’s 11-year global media-rights agreement with the NBA.

• Access to 67 regular-season games
• Postseason action included
• Exclusive NBA and WNBA coverage

For fans in the UAE, that means the NBA Cup is only one slice of a wider basketball slate coming to Prime Video, with regular-season and postseason games through the year.

Why it matters for UAE fans

More live basketball, in one place, with sensible timing for weekend fixtures. The Cup format adds knockout tension before the All-Star break and gives neutral fans an easy way to dip in. If you’re upgrading your setup for the big games, check our recent look at LG’s new OLEDs in the UAE for a bright, fast panel that flatters sports. 

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