Basketball returns to Nine today, with the 2026 CODE Sports NBL Blitz marking the start of the network’s new broadcast partnership with the league.
The five-day pre-season tournament will see all 10 NBL teams take to the court in Bendigo, giving fans their first look at the teams ahead of the new season, with every match streaming live and free on 9Now.
The new deal sees Nine take over the NBL’s free-to-air rights from Network 10, which broadcast the league for the past four seasons, with two games to be shown each week across the Nine Network and streaming on 9Now.
Selected marquee games will air on Channel 9 on Saturday nights, while the NBL Finals Series will also be broadcast live across the 9Network and 9Now.
Nine’s coverage will also see the NBL join the WNBL on 9Now, with the women’s competition also streaming live and free on the platform alongside ESPN via Disney+.
The partnership will also see NBL Overtime form part of Nine’s coverage, alongside dedicated NBL content across 9Now and Wide World of Sports.
The 2026 CODE Sports NBL Blitz gets underway in Bendigo today, with the Cairns Taipans taking on the Perth Wildcats at 5.30pm AEST before the Sydney Kings face South East Melbourne Phoenix at 8.00pm.
2026 CODE Sports NBL Blitz schedule:
The 2026 CODE Sports NBL BLITZ runs across five days in Bendigo, with two matches played each day and all 10 games available live on ESPN via Disney+, Kayo Sports and 9Now.
Wednesday, September 2
Cairns Taipans v Perth Wildcats — 5.30pm AEST
Sydney Kings v South East Melbourne Phoenix — 8.00pm AEST
Thursday, September 3
Brisbane Bullets v Tasmania JackJumpers — 5.30pm AEST
Illawarra Hawks v Adelaide 36ers — 8.00pm AEST
Friday, September 4
New Zealand Breakers v Sydney Kings — 5.30pm AEST
Perth Wildcats v Melbourne United — 8.00pm AEST
Saturday, September 5
South East Melbourne Phoenix v Brisbane Bullets — 5.30pm AEST
Adelaide 36ers v Cairns Taipans — 8.00pm AEST
Sunday, September 6
Melbourne United v Illawarra Hawks — 5.30pm AEST
Tasmania JackJumpers v New Zealand Breakers — 8.00pm AEST
