In a bold move to rejuvenate interest in its midseason showcase, the NBA has announced plans to introduce “some form” of a USA vs World format for the 2026 All-Star Game. The change, revealed by commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday, aligns with the ongoing Winter Olympics and aims to inject fresh excitement into the league’s annual exhibition.
The game is scheduled for February 16, 2026, coinciding with NBC’s broadcast of the Winter Olympics, which will sandwich the All-Star Game between Olympic events in a new afternoon time slot. NBC recently reclaimed the rights to air the NBA All-Star Game in the U.S., prompting the league to reimagine the event’s structure and timing.
“So what better time to feature some form of USA against the world?” Silver told Fox Sports, underscoring the global nature of modern basketball and the opportunity to spotlight it on one of the year’s biggest sporting weekends.
Silver drew inspiration from the NHL’s decision earlier this year to skip its traditional All-Star Game in favour of the 4 Nations Face-Off — a seven-game tournament involving only top players from the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Sweden. “It was a huge success,” he remarked, hinting at a similar goal for the NBA.
The league’s All-Star Game has faced declining interest in recent years, despite multiple format changes. This year’s experimental four-team, three-game mini-tournament failed to reverse the trend, with viewership dipping 13% from 2024 to its second-lowest level in 25 years.
Calls to add a stronger international flavor to the event have grown, especially as the NBA continues to see an influx of global talent. For the past seven seasons, the Most Valuable Player award has gone to a non-American, and the last two number-one overall draft picks have hailed from France. Although Joel Embiid recently committed to representing the United States over Cameroon or France, the presence of international superstars continues to redefine the league’s identity.
Silver also praised the competitive level of international basketball, referencing the tightly contested games between the U.S., Serbia, and France at the Paris Olympics, where Team USA narrowly clinched its fifth consecutive gold medal.
While final details on the new All-Star format are yet to be released, the league appears set on embracing its global evolution, hoping that USA vs World will recapture fan enthusiasm and align seamlessly with the Olympic spirit.
