Watching NBA Games Without Cable: A Guide for Cord Cutters
Watching sports on television has never been easy, and the shift towards streaming hasn’t made it any easier for NBA fans. With the regular NBA season underway and 30 teams playing 82 games each, keeping up with all the games can be a daunting task. Due to a complex web of agreements between broadcasters, NBA games are spread across various television networks. However, fear not! We have put together a comprehensive guide to help you watch the games without the need for traditional cable or satellite TV.
The Network Maze
Nationally televised games in the NBA are broadcast on four networks: ABC, ESPN (with ESPN2 serving as a secondary station), TNT (with TBS as a secondary station), and NBA TV. However, unlike NFL games, not all NBA games air on national networks. Many games are exclusive to regional sports channels such as Bally Sports and AT&T’s SportsNet. These networks have different coverage agreements that vary from team to team, region to region, and even game to game. Due to this complexity, it’s impossible to cover them all in this guide.
To find out which games are playing on which channels for the specific games you want to watch, consult the NBA schedule. Additionally, it’s important to note that games televised live on national channels are often subject to blackout restrictions, meaning they are not available for local viewers of the teams playing. While you’re here, be sure to check out our Best Streaming Devices and Best TVs guides to enhance your viewing experience for the season.
Updated November 2023: We’ve made adjustments to details like season start dates, pricing, and channel availability.
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Best Option for Out-of-Market Fans: NBA League Pass
If you’re a fan of a team located outside your home television market, the best choice for you is NBA League Pass. For $100 per season, the basic League Pass package allows you to watch any out-of-market games. However, games in your local market will be blacked out, preventing you from watching them. This means that if you’re a Brooklyn Nets fan and a game is being played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, you won’t be able to watch it. Additionally, you will not have access to nationally televised games.
If you only want to watch one team’s games, you can opt for NBA Team Pass and save $10 per season. For $150 per season, League Pass Premium eliminates ads and allows simultaneous streaming on two devices, while the regular League Pass restricts streaming to one device at a time. All plans include access to NBA TV.
Best Live TV Streaming Package: Sling TV
Sling TV offers two different packages, Blue and Orange, each priced at $40 per month and featuring different channels. For NBA fans, we recommend choosing the Orange package and skipping Blue. The Orange package includes TNT, TBS, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 exclusively. While neither package includes ABC, you can watch national ABC NBA games on Orange’s ESPN3 or with the help of an antenna. To watch NBA League Pass and NBA TV games, you’ll need to add the $15-per-month NBA League Pass add-on to your plan.
If you don’t require out-of-market games from League Pass, you can opt for the $11-per-month Sports Extra add-on, which includes NBA TV. This package allows you to watch all nationally televised NBA games for as little as $51 per month. Keep in mind that the Bally Sports and SportsNet regional networks are not available in this channel lineup, so depending on your location and the teams playing, you may not be able to watch the games live.
Runner-Up: YouTube TV
YouTube TV is priced at $73 per month and offers a slightly more affordable option compared to its closest competitors, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV. It includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, and NBA TV. However, enabling a 4K Add-On comes at an extra cost. If your main goal is to watch NBA games, Sling TV (with the League Pass add-on) might be a more cost-effective choice. Nevertheless, YouTube TV is still a good option if you enjoy other channels and content that Sling TV Orange does not offer. Please note that YouTube TV does not include Bally Sports and SportsNet, which means you won’t have access to in-market games.
Upgrade Pick: DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is available for $65 per month and doesn’t require a traditional DirecTV subscription or a long-term contract commitment. The entry tier, called Entertainment, provides access to ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and TBS. Opting for the $90-per-month Choice tier adds NBA TV to your channel lineup. NBA League Pass is also available as an add-on for an additional subscription fee. What sets DirecTV Stream apart from other streaming services is that their higher tiers include regional sports networks such as Bally Sports and SportsNet, allowing you to watch live in-market games that are otherwise unavailable via streaming. However, specific channel availability may vary by market, so it’s important to check the details for your team and location.
The Benchwarmers: Other Alternatives
In addition to our top picks, here are a few other options you can consider:
FuboTV ($75 per month) is a live television streaming service that focuses heavily on sports. While it provides access to ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV, and ABC in its basic tier, it does not currently offer TNT and TBS. If you wish to watch games on those networks, you can subscribe to Max (formerly HBO Max) for $10 per month and add the new Bleacher Report Sports Add-On for an additional $10 per month. However, this will increase your monthly cost to $95.
Now that you have all the information, choose the streaming service that best suits your needs and start enjoying the excitement of basketball without the hassle of traditional cable or satellite TV!