Why Pistons vs. Cavs Game 6 is only on Amazon Prime tonight for 2026 NBA playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers have produced a tight second-round series, but it’s the Cavs who are one game away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland is set to host Detroit on Friday night in what will be both teams’ biggest game of the 2020s. However, despite the importance of the game, fans will not be able to watch it on a traditional TV channel.
Instead, Amazon Prime will carry the game on Friday night, making it one of the biggest games the streaming service has broadcast in its partnership with the NBA. This is only the beginning of playoff games on the streaming service, as Amazon and the NBA are tied together for the next decade.
Here’s why tonight’s game can only be found on Amazon Prime.
NBA PLAYOFFS HQ:Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket
Why Pistons vs. Cavs Game 6 is only on Amazon Prime tonight?
As part of the NBA’s new TV media deals this season, Amazon Prime was awarded an exclusive selection of playoff games along with their regular season package. As a result, these games will only be broadcasted on the streaming service with no other alternative.
The NBA added Amazon Prime and NBC with ESPN to its TV broadcast deal last year, moving off of TNT for good. The deal between NBA and Amazon Prime is for 11 years and is the league’s official entrance into a streaming service broadcast.
“We are honored that the NBA has entrusted Prime Video to deliver its one-of-a-kind action and excitement to viewers around the world,” Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said last year. “We look forward to continuing to innovate and evolve live sports coverage for our customers, and are fully committed to building an incredible video experience for millions of NBA fans starting in 2025.”
This is only Amazon’s latest addition to its sports portfolio, as it already hosts NFL’s Thursday Night Football. Amazon broadcasted 66 games during the regular season, which included the NBA Cup in December, along with the NBA Play-In Tournament before the playoffs began.
While Amazon’s coverage of the NBA playoffs concludes in the second round, it will get one of the conference finals six times over the next 10 years beginning next season.
MORE: Complete list of NBA finalists and award winners
What channel is Pistons vs. Cavs on tonight?
- TV channel: None
- Live stream: Amazon Prime
Fans can only watch Game 6 between the Pistons and Cavaliers on Amazon Prime, as the streaming service has both games on the night. Additionally, if there is a Game 7 in this series, that game would also be broadcasted on Amazon Prime on Sunday.