Silver's announcement sounds promising after the poor reception to the tournament structure applied to this year's All-Star Game. Whatever the format of the game, Silver's decision to pivot to a format with a global identity appropriately accommodates their media partner's broadcast plans for the Milano Cortina Games in Northeast Italy.

The game will take place on 16 February during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which are being broadcast in the United States by NBC. NBC has regained the rights to show the NBA All-Star game in the US, which will be switched to an afternoon start, with Winter Olympic events being broadcast before and after.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Wednesday during an appearance on Breakfast Ball that the 2026 All-Star Game will be some type of format that features American players competing against international players.