How to watch the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

The fate of some of the top college basketball players in the country will be decided by this year’s NBA Draft, but before player selections can be made, the NBA Draft Lottery has to take place to determine the order of selection. The three teams with the worst records during the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Washington Wizards, the Indiana Pacers, and the Brooklyn Nets, have the highest likelihood of nabbing the first overall draft pick this year, but nothing will be confirmed until the NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 10.

Quick Overview

Watch ESPN, NBC, ABC, TBS, TNT, and more

DirecTV

Try free at DirecTV

Watch ABC and more on ESPN Unlimited

ESPN

Starting at $29.99/month at ESPN

Watch ABC, ESPN and more on ESPN Unlimited

ESPN

Starting at $29.99/month at ESPN

Watch ABC on Fubo

Fubo TV

Try it free, then get up to $30 off at Fubo

Watch ABC, ESPN and more

YouTube TV

Try free at YouTube TVSee 1 more

Need a detailed explainer about how the NBA Draft Lottery works? Yahoo Sports has you covered.

Here’s how to watch the NBA Draft Lottery live, and find out additional key dates for this year’s NBA draft.

Where to watch the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery:

Watch ESPN, NBC, ABC, TBS, TNT, and more

DirecTV

Try free at DirecTV

Watch ABC and more on ESPN Unlimited

ESPN

Starting at $29.99/month at ESPN

Date: May 10, 2026

Time: 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT

TV channel: ABC

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more

When is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery?

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 10, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET.

What channel is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on?

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery will air live on ABC.

Where to stream the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery?

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery will stream on ESPN Unlimited. You can also stream ABC on platforms like DirecTV, Fubo, YouTube TV and more.

ESPN

Watch ABC, ESPN and more on ESPN Unlimited

ESPN

ESPN’s streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events like 2026 NHL playoff games, plus original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of seven linear channels, and exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and more. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content only available on the app, and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays and more). Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.

Starting at $29.99/month at ESPN

Fubo

Watch ABC on Fubo

Fubo TV

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NFL Network and 100+ more live channels. At up to $84/month, the live-TV streaming service is definitely a big investment, but it’s one of the most comprehensive ways to watch live TV, including many games in the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, MLB and more, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage.

Right now the platform is offering a free 7-day trial so you can check out everything the platform has to offer, risk-free, and on top of that, you can get up to $30 off your first month, depending on your plan.

Try it free, then get up to $30 off at Fubo

Which teams will participate in the 2026 Draft Lottery?

The teams eligible for the draft lottery are the 14 teams that missed out on the 2026 NBA playoffs. They are:

Washington Wizards
Indiana Pacers
Brooklyn Nets
Utah Jazz
Sacramento Kings
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans (to Atlanta or Milwaukee)
Dallas Mavericks
Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors
L.A. Clippers (to Oklahoma City)
Miami Heat
Charlotte Hornets

When is the 2026 NBA Draft?

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft will take place on Tuesday, June 23, at 8 p.m. ET and the second round will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET.