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Why Celtics vs. Pistons is opening NBA season in rare daytime game

The NBA’s 2026‑27 season will kick off with a 3 p.m. ET matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, Oct.

20. NBC is using the afternoon slot as a test in the second year of its 11‑year, $27 billion media rights deal, hoping to turn opening night into an all‑day spectacle with “College Gameday‑style” activations, a blue‑carpet experience and a marching band rendition of the classic “Roundball Rock” theme.

This will be the first time in 15 years that more than two games are played on opening day, and the first ever NBA opening‑day triple‑header to be broadcast nationally. NBC executives cite strong viewership from the 2026 MLB Opening Day doubleheader as a model, and they see the early game as a way to build momentum toward the primetime slots that feature the Knicks’ title ceremony, a Philadelphia 76ers showdown and a Spurs‑Thunder Western Conference Finals rematch.

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