The NBA is back! Basketball’s biggest stars are back on the court for the NBA regular season. Fans are back out in force this year, filling arenas around the country for every regular-season game. If you’d like to catch a game from your couch instead, we’re here to help! This is your complete guide to watching the NBA without cable.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream NBA games:
| Price | Channels | Free Trial | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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#1
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$64.99 – $154.99 | 140+ | 5 days | |
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#2
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$13.99 – $129.99 | N/A | N/A | |
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#3
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$7.99 – $82.99 | 85+ | 30 days | |
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#4
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$74.99 – $94.99 | 220+ | 7 days | |
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#5
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$40 – $60 | 30+ – 130+ | 3 days | |
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#6
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$25 | 60+ | 7 days | |
What TV Channels Have NBA Basketball? Can I Watch NBA Basketball Online?
Ready to watch NBA games without cable? To figure out exactly how to catch the games you crave, we’d better start with some basic knowledge about which channels air NBA games.
For starters, your local team will play on a regional sports network, or RSN. These are channels that are only available in certain markets. For example, Knicks fans can catch their team on an RSN called MSG — but only if they live in the area that MSG serves, which is limited to certain areas near New York City.
On other occasions, NBA basketball will be played on a national stage. To catch nationally broadcast games, you’ll need to track down streams of the NBA’s big broadcast partners: ABC, ESPN, and TNT. You’ll also find games on the league’s own channel, NBA TV.
How to Watch the NBA Season Without Cable
If you’re not in your team’s market (in other words, if you can’t get your team’s RSN on TV), then you’ll want to check out NBA League Pass. But if you are in your favorite team’s market — or if you want to catch the nationally broadcast games on ESPN and TNT — then you’ll want to replace cable with a different live TV solution. Your best bet is a live TV streaming service. This sort of service is perfect for cord cutters because it delivers a cable-like experience for less cash and fewer commitments. For a great overview, here are all the ways you can catch NBA games this year:
Can I Watch NBA Games on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast?
NBA games deserve to be played on your TV screen, not just your computer screen. Happily, our favorite streaming services work really well with our favorite streaming platforms. You should have no trouble using services like Hulu + Live TV to stream NBA games on platforms like Roku and Fire TV.
Can you get around NBA League Pass Blackouts?
NBA League Pass is one of our favorite ways to watch live NBA games without cable, but its blackouts are a major issue. If you live in your favorite team’s home market, then you won’t be able to watch the games that matter most to you on NBA League Pass — unless, of course, you can somehow convince NBA League Pass that you’re somewhere else.
Good news: It’s possible to use a VPN to change your IP address and virtually shift your location. This could get rid of blackouts on NBA League Pass, as long as you’re using a VPN that NBA League Pass can’t detect (otherwise, NBA League Pass might block your access — using a VPN isn’t something streaming services always let you get away with). If you use one of the best VPNs of 2023, you shouldn’t have a problem circumventing the NBA League Pass blackouts. Note that VPNs tend to work best on computers and may not fare as well on mobile devices, because mobile devices have robust “location services” features that make it easier for apps to determine your real geographic location.
Of course, even with a VPN, NBA League Pass is really only good for regular-season coverage. Be sure to get a streaming or over-the-air solution set up in time to watch this year’s NBA playoffs without cable!
I’d like to point out Ballstreams. I’ve used it for a few years now and it works really well. There is even Kodi and Emby plugins. I believe registration is not always open though.
League Pass is worse than last year. No way anyone should pay $200 for the freezing, glitches, non loading videos.