This NBA is introducing a new America vs. World format for the 2026 All-Star Game as part of its latest effort to reinvigorate the excitement of the traditional weekend of games.

The league has repeatedly changed the structure of the All-Star Game in recent years, including captain-led drafts and goal-scoring ends, but has yet to find a solution to retain a larger audience.

Officials hope that framing the contest around national pride will encourage a more competitive edge and eventually resolve their issues.

The revised format will debut in February 2026 during All-Star Weekend, which will be hosted at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Read on to find out what you need to know ahead of the action-packed weekend.

How will the new format work?

The 2026 All-Star Game will be played as a round-robin tournament featuring three teams: two American teams and a world team made up of international players.

Each team will have a minimum of eight players, with selections from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

If the initial All-Star selection is not evenly split between American and international players, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add players to ensure each team has the minimum required.

A total of four games will be played, with each game lasting 12 minutes.

Team A will face Team B in the opening round. The winner of that game will play Team C, then the loser of Game 1 will play Team C in the third match.

After those three games, the two teams with the best records will advance to the championship game. If all three teams finish with a 1-1 record, qualification will be determined by point differential in the round-robin stage.

Who has been selected for the 2026 All-Star Game?

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Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers)
Victor Vembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Eastern Conference Reserves
Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)
Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks)
Scotty Barnes (Toronto Raptors)
Norman Powell (Miami Heat)
Pascal Wine (Indiana Pacers)
Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)

Western Conference Reserve
Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Danny Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers)
Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)

When is NBA All-Star Weekend 2026?

NBA All-Star Weekend will take place from Friday, February 13th through Sunday, February 15th with all events taking place in California.

Friday, February 13
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
NBA Rising Stars Game
NBA HBCU Classic: Hampton University vs North Carolina A&T State University

Saturday, February 15
NBA All-Star Saturday night

Sunday, February 16
NBA All-Star Game

How to watch NBA All-Star Weekend

UK viewers will be able to follow the 2026 NBA All-Star Game via TNT Sports under the NBA’s multi-year broadcast agreement in the UK and Ireland.

TNT Sports has live rights to the league’s marquee events, including the All-Star Game, and will show the game on its platform as part of its scheduled NBA coverage. Live matches and additional programming are available via streaming on TNT Sports’ TV channels and the Discovery+ app.

Additionally, NBA League Pass is available in the UK and Ireland and usually carries live, on-demand coverage of NBA games, including All-Star Weekend events.

In the United States, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be televised nationally on NBC, marking the first time the All-Star Game has been broadcast by the network since 2002.