With the NBA season about a week away, here are some of the best streaming options and services to watch NBA games. Get a free trial with Fubo and enjoy your favorite NBA teams.
The Best Streaming Services to Watch NBA Games in 2023
Basketball fans want to know what the best streaming services are, especially given the growth of streaming platforms. This article will provide a guide to the best NBA streaming services available.
NBA Channels and Networks
The first step to choosing an NBA streaming service is looking at its channels.
NBA-related channels are a must-have for a great streaming service. The channels include ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.
ABC
The NBA schedule this season features 100 games across ESPN and ABC, including a minimum of eight games as part of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, five games on Christmas, two Opening Week doubleheaders, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, NBA Sunday Showcase on ABC and Thanksgiving Eve and Black Friday games.
ESPN
While ABC has the most pivotal and likely highest-rated games of the season, ESPN also has a huge amount of games that will be broadcast throughout the season. The great thing about the games on ESPN is that you never know what games will be great on a nightly basis.
TNT
TNT airs NBA coverage on Tuesday and Thursday nights, with the highest-profile games on those days. On Thursday night you’ll also get Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
NBA TV
NBA TV is an individual TV channel that provides 24/7 live NBA coverage, including up to 100 exclusive games throughout the season. It’s not simply games, but programming to go with it.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Fubo is your home for NBA!
The Best NBA Stream Services
Fubo
Fubo is for all sports fans and if you are unable to watch the game right at its scheduled time, you can record it and watch it at a later date. You can record up to 250 hours of programming. Fubo offers ABC and ESPN, but not TNT. You must pay an extra $11 per month for the Sports Plus add-on to get the NBA TV channel. MSG (New York Knicks), NBC Sports regional sports network, Root Sports (Portland Trailblazers) are part of the lineup, along with Bally Sports regional sports networks. The package begins at $74.99 per month.
Hulu
The basketball lineup includes ABC, ESPN, and TNT, but not NBA TV. It has NBC Sports RSNs, but lacks Bally Sports and SportsNet RSNs. Other sports channels in Hulu’s lineup are BTN, CBS Sports Network, FS1, Golf Channel, NFL Network, and NBC Sports Network. You’re able to record 50 hours of programming, but it isn’t as much as some other providers like Fubo. Hulu begins at $69.99 per month.
Sling TV
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN and TNT, but you must pay for the $11 per-month Sports Extra to get NBA TV. Sling TV does not include your local ABC channel, but you can set up an antenna and receiver to watch ABC via Sling. However, that process requires you to spend money on additional hardware. To get more channels and a few NBC regional sports networks (and keep all the channels from the Orange plan), you can upgrade to Sling TV’s combined Orange + Blue plan ($50 per month).
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream’s entry-level Entertainment tier includes ABC, ESPN, and TNT, but not NBA TV. To get that channel and regional sports networks, you must upgrade to the $84.99-per-month Choice plan, which is more expensive than Fubo. DirecTV Stream features RSNs from AT&T and Comcast, but is missing a few NBC Sports RSNs and Sinclair.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has a great selection of TV networks for basketball fans. The lineup includes ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT. The service includes all NBC Sports RSNs, but not the Bally Sports RSNs or SportsNet RSNs. Additional sports channels are available for the $10.99-per-month Sports Plus Add-On. It costs $72.99.
NBA League Pass
If you are just interested in basketball and nothing else, NBA League Pass could be a good option. The only problem is you don’t get anything other than basketball from ESPN, ABC or TNT. It costs $ 99.99 a season for live and on-demand games plus NBA TV. You can also spend $149.99 a season to make your access commercial-free and have it on up to three devices.
How to Watch NBA Without Cable
Want to watch the 2023-2024 NBA season? Then make sure you’re subscribed to Fubo, which gives you access to all nationally televised NBA games (ABC, ESPN) as well as regional coverage during the season and NBA TV. Fubo has features like fan view, which allow you to feel like you are closer to the game and give you a better overall experience.
Fubo is the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, offering 100+ live TV channels and regional sports networks. The service includes a DVR as well as on-demand content and focuses on sports programming. Fubo is the only live TV streaming platform with every Nielsen-rated sports channel. Leveraging Fubo’s proprietary data and technology platform optimized for live TV and sports viewership, subscribers can engage with the content they are watching through interactive product features like FanView, an in-video experience showcasing live game, team and player stats and scores in real-time. Fubo was also the first virtual MVPD to enable simultaneous viewing on up to four screens (Multiview on Apple TV) and the first to stream in 4K HDR. The service was ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Live TV Streaming Providers by J.D. Power (2022).
FAQs
What is the best way to stream the NBA for free?
While you have no way of streaming the NBA for free legally, the best option in regards to price is Sling TV, starting at $40.00 a month. That will allow you to see all of the major sports. Specifically for the NBA, NBA League Pass is the cheapest.
Which streaming service has the most NBA games?
DIRECTV Stream has the most NBA coverage. The provider’s CHOICE package includes regional sports networks (RSNs) and every national NBA channel. Plus, you can subscribe to NBA League Pass through DIRECTV STREAM for full out-of-market coverage.
What is the cheapest NBA streaming service?
The cheapest NBA streaming service is NBA League Pass, which is $99.99 for the entire season, meaning it is around $15 to $20 a month.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Fubo is your home for NBA!