Chicago Bulls Receive Three National TV Games in 2026-27

The Bulls may not be projected to be very good this season, but they should absolutely be exciting.

Led by No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, high-flying 21-year-old Matas Buzelis and promising point guard Josh Giddey, Chicago will likely be one of the youngest squads in the league. Add in All-Star Norman Powell from free agency and the Bulls have a lineup capable of exceeding many expectations this winter.

However, the NBA doesn't see that potential — at least not yet.

The league released its complete 2026-27 season schedule on Thursday afternoon, and in news that shouldn't come as a surprise, the Bulls received only three nationally televised games. That's just one more than the Nets, Bucks, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Kings, which ranked last in the league with two appearances.

Chicago, which opens the season in Toronto against the Raptors, won't play on national television until Dec. 1. The Tuesday night contest will see two of the league's most iconic franchises face off as the defending champion New York Knicks head to the Windy City at 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC.

New York won the season series last year, 3-1. The Bulls claimed the first matchup on Oct. 31, 2025, with a 135-125 victory to advance to 5-0, but the Knicks won the next three games by a combined 58 points. That included a dominant 40-point win in April that gave Chicago its sixth consecutive loss.

The Bulls are back on national television after the new year. On Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, the Bulls will travel to Indiana to take on a healthy Tyrese Haliburton and his Pacers, with the broadcast at 6:00 p.m. CT on Peacock. Despite missing Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury, the Pacers swept the Bulls in four meetings. Pascal Siakam dominated the matchup by averaging 26.3 points per game.

Chicago's final matchup on national television comes against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2027. The Nets similarly won their season series over the Bulls, 3-1, despite struggling against the rest of the league. ESPN's broadcast of the Bulls' road game is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.

Although the Bulls only have three games slated for national television, that could change if the team produces excitement or is better than expected. Chicago is one of the premier markets and fanbases in the entire NBA, and the league has not been opposed to flexing games that feature talented rookies to its best broadcast partners.