This one's for you diehard NBA fans.
How to Stream NBA Games Live
4 min readListen, we get it, you live for basketball. Your favorite weekend plans involve your couch, your TV, and a game. But if you want to live stream every NBA regular season and postseason game, then you need to get your game plan straight.
We recommend putting multiple streaming players in your lineup: a live TV streaming service, a VPN, an antenna, and NBA LEAGUE PASS. If you want more channels and are willing to spend a little more, you could also opt for a traditional cable or satellite TV provider.
Either way, you're going to want access to ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and the TNT channel for the 2023–2024 season.
We’ll go over all of these details to help you stream tonight’s game in no time. Start the clock.
Which live TV streaming service is best for NBA games?
YouTube TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, and DIRECTV all have all or some of the channels needed for streaming NBA games—ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT.
These live TV streaming services are for basketball fans who want to catch the double-headers on these four channels.
We recommend YouTube TV as it has the four necessary NBA-game channels, along with a great channel selection and an unlimited DVR storage for $73 per month.
That means you can record all of your Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, or Phoenix Suns games while you're working late.
YouTube also offers NBA LEAGUE PASS as an add-on, so this service is basically the NBA fan's dream.
Which streaming service is best for NBA?
Service | Monthly price | Available channels | Learn more |
| $72.99 | 100 | View Plan | |
 | $79.99–$89.99 | 190–259 | Free Trial |
 | $40-$55 | 32-46 | Get 50% Off |
 | $69.99-$159.99* | 90-185 | View Plans |
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*
Plus taxes. Req's purchase of Device. New customers only.
Like we said above, all of these live TV streaming services have NBA TV and NBA LEAGUE PASS, but only YouTube TV and fuboTV's $80 plan includes NBA TV. Otherwise, you'll have to add on NBA TV and a subscription to NBA League Pass to your service.
Here's a quick rundown of each of the other streaming services channels just in case one of these are better for you than YouTube TV:
- fuboTV: You'll get access to 50 sports channels with fuboTV, which is the most you can find with any TV provider on the market. We like fuboTV so much that we named it the best live TV streaming service. But it's not the best for NBA families. fuboTV doesn't have TNT.
- Sling TV: Sling TV is one of the most inexpensive live TV streaming services, but it only provides the ESPN and TNT channels when you get the Sling Orange plan ($40/month). But if you're looking forward to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, it's worth mentioning that we named Sling TV our favorite service for the upcoming NBA-star matchup.
- DIRECTV: DIRECTV has all of the channels you need for the NBA season in its lineup if you get the CHOICE package ($85/month) and above.
Should I get an over-the-air TV antenna to watch NBA games?
Most streaming services have your local channels, but if they don't offer them in your area or you want to save money, that's where an antenna comes in.
An antenna may not work for every market, but it will for some. For example, in Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz is broadcast on a regional sports channel, so the HD antenna won’t solve that problem.
OTA antennas don’t cost that much (you can find one for around $20–$45), and with that one-time cost, you get 20–60 free channels straight to your TV. You’ll get instant access to every local station in your area.
If you want more antenna suggestions, check our top HD antennas list.
NBA League Pass (with a VPN)
NBA League Pass works best for individual teams that don’t get that much attention around the country. If you love the Milwaukee Bucks but live in California, or you live in Seattle and don’t totally resent the Oklahoma City Thunder, then NBA League Pass is a great way to watch their games.
Keep in mind, with NBA League Pass, you’ll face in-market and nationally televised blackouts.
You won’t be able to watch live games that your local broadcast stations or national networks, like TNT, have the rights to. That’s why we also recommend getting an HD antenna and a VPN or service that has ABC and TNT if you want to catch local games.
How much is NBA League Pass?
Want to avoid blackouts? Get a VPN.
If you want to skip the pesky in-market blackouts entirely, just get a personal VPN service. VPNs let you connect to the internet through proxy servers. That basically means the internet can’t tell where you really live or where you’re coming from.
For NBA LEAGUE PASS, that means the service won’t blackout games in your market because it thinks you’re in a totally different market than you really are.
Most VPNs even let you choose a location to connect from, so you can choose one that will make NBA LEAGUE PASS let you watch the game you want. Sneaky.
Recommended VPN services for streaming:
Which cable or satellite TV provider is best for NBA?
If you’re not a total cord-cutter and you’re okay spending a little more on TV every month, then a traditional cable or satellite TV provider can definitely get you your Giannis Antetokounmpo or Luka Doncic fix.
Every cable and satellite TV provider will have a package that offers ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT. Plus, you get access to your local channels even without buying an HD antenna.
For tricky ones, like our Utah Jazz example, you may need to ask for a regional sports add-on depending on your package.
Even with cable or satellite, you won't be able to see a lot of out-of-market teams play, so that's when NBA League Pass is really your best option.
To help further in your decision, take a look at How to Get the NBA on TV piece for our top traditional TV suggestions for NBA fans.
Which cable or satellite TV providers are best for NBA games?
Provider | Monthly price | Available channels | Learn more |
 | $50.00–$78.50/mo.† | 10-185 | View Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $84.99-$114.99‡ | 190-290 | View Plans |
 | $69.99/mo. for 12 mos.^ | 155+ | View Plans |
 | $59.99-$159.99° | 75-150 | View Plans |
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
†
Pricing for some packages are for the first 12 months. Some packages require a 1-year contract.
‡
All offers require credit qualification, 2-year commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay.
^
* Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum TV Select Signature promotion price is $59.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr 1. Taxes, fees, and surcharges (broadcast surcharge up to $23.20/mo) extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.
°
All prices include $5 Autopay & Paperless Bill discount, which may take 1-3 bill cycles to begin (pay $5 more per month until discount begins). New approved residential customers only. 24-mo. agreement required. Offers may be discontinued at any time.
Recap: What’s the best way to watch all NBA games?
If you're a diehard NBA fan and you need to keep your Fantasy team in check, then we absolutely recommend you get a live TV streaming service, an antenna, and NBA LEAGUE PASS. And you'll likely want to skip blackouts, so you'll want to add in a VPN.
That entire combo is the best way to watch all of the NBA games.
You won't ever miss a NY Knicks game, how LeBron James does in his 21st season, or Joel Embiid be Joel Embiid.
Methodology
We put together 8+ years of research and experience to deliver to you the top streaming services for the NBA season. We have tested these live TV streaming servics ourselves, researched the experience of others, and monitor the daily, monthly, and yearly changes of the each service.
We take into consideration the following factors:
- Does this streaming service have all channels needed for the NBA season and NBA League Pass?
- Price to channel ratio
- Variety of channels
- User experience
- DVR storage
Related Articles
A Honest Windstream Internet Review, According to Customers
You can get low-cost DSL and fiber internet with Windstream, but there are some customer...
Best Xfinity TV and Internet Bundles
Xfinity is always offering new deals for customers who bundle multiple services together. Here’s how...
Visible Wireless Customer Service FAQ
Visible Wireless offers a super-cheap unlimited data plan that’s hard to beat. But the company’s...
The Best Satellite Internet Providers: It Ain’t Just About Starlink
Make sure you get the best satellite internet experience from the best satellite internet providers.
