The NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans have announced their local broadcast plans for the 2026-27 season.
The key point is that 20 regular-season games will also air free over the air on New Orleans’ FOX 8.
While more games will be available without a cable or streaming subscription, this is an announced local broadcast plan, and the schedule may change.
3-Line Summary
1. 20 Pelicans games will air on free TV
2. 80 of the 82 regular-season games will receive local coverage
3. The scope and scheduling of the free broadcasts must be distinguished
Only 20 Games Will Also Air Free on FOX 8
The Pelicans announced that 20 regular-season games during the 2026-27 season will be simulcast free over the air on FOX 8 New Orleans. This is the first such scheduling arrangement in franchise history. FOX 8 and the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network (GCSEN) will air the same games together.
The 20 games include 11 home games and 9 away games. The regular-season opener against the Indiana Pacers on October 21 is also scheduled to air on FOX 8 and GCSEN. The December 31 home game against the Lakers, the January 28 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the March 21 road game against the Boston Celtics, and the March 23 road game against the New York Knicks are also included in FOX 8’s schedule.
FOX 8 is a New Orleans-area broadcaster, and the free-viewing plan is an announcement aimed at expanding access for viewers in the Gulf Coast region. Therefore, not all Pelicans games are being converted to free over-the-air broadcasts.
Local Coverage of 80 Games and Streaming Are Separate
According to a report by Sports Video Group, Gray Media and GCSEN plan to cover 80 of the 82 regular-season games. They said that games broadcast on local TV will also be available on Pelicans+, the Pelicans’ direct-to-consumer streaming service. The 4 preseason games are also scheduled to air on GCSEN.
The 20 FOX 8 games are free simulcasts added to this local coverage system. This is why the number of free broadcasts and the total number of locally covered games should not be treated as the same figure. For games not on FOX 8, availability through GCSEN and Pelicans+ will be the more direct viewing criteria.
WWL Radio announced that it will handle all 82 regular-season games and 4 preseason games on radio. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime plans to broadcast the two San Antonio Spurs games played in Europe. The games will be held in Paris on January 14 and in Manchester on January 17.
Why the Broadcast Outlets Are Divided Before the Opener
The numbers to note in this announcement are 20 and 80. The 20 refers to the number of regular-season games simulcast for free on FOX 8, while the 80 refers to the number of regular-season local-coverage games handled by Gray Media and GCSEN. The remaining games and viewing methods will vary according to each schedule.
FOX 8 has noted that its schedule may change. Fans waiting for a game against a particular opponent should not determine availability based solely on the free-simulcast announcement; instead, they need to check the FOX 8 and GCSEN listings for that game separately.
References
Tags #NBA #NewOrleansPelicans #Pelicans #NBABroadcasts #FOX8 #GCSEN #PelicansPlus #FreeTVBroadcasts #BasketballBroadcasts #NBA #NewOrleans #RegularSeasonBroadcasts