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The 2023-24 NBA regular season has come to a close, and the 2024 NBA Finals are underway. More than 1,200 games were scheduled between 30 teams this season, and the playoffs bring dozens of additional games to your screens. The only enemy hindering you from keeping up with it all is time. You don't need cable to watch NBA games with all the live TV streaming services and subscriptions like the NBA League Pass at your disposal. Keep reading to learn how to watch NBA games without a cable subscription.
In the quick links box below, you can learn how to watch the 2024 NBA Finals games. Below that, you can see all of the options to watch the 2023-2024 regular season, which has concluded. These will also most likely be how you can watch the 2024-2025 regular NBA season when games start back up in October, but we'll keep this space updated in the fall when the season rolls around.
Quick links for watching NBA games
- 2023-2024 NBA Season: Key dates
- Live stream local NBA games
- NBA League Pass: stream every out-of-market game
- Watch NBA anywhere with a VPN
Key dates for the 2023-24 NBA season
The 2023-24 NBA regular season started on October 24, 2023, and ran through April 14, 2024. The season also featured a midseason tournament for the first time, which saw the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers in December.
Round 1 of the playoffs officially began on April 20, 2024. Each match-up will end with the first team to win four games, extending to a possibility of seven total games per round. Round 2 is scheduled to start on May 6, 2024. The NBA Finals begin on June 6, 2024, and end with a possible game 7 on June 27, 2024.
How to watch NBA games: Live streams
You can watch nationally televised NBA regular season games on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. TNT usually broadcasts games on Tuesday and Thursday nights, while ESPN games are typically scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays. ABC will show NBA games on select Saturdays and Sundays starting in December.
If you already have a pay-TV provider with access to ESPN, ABC, or TNT, you can live stream each station's NBA content via their respective apps. Just log in with your credentials. Note: ESPN games are not included with an ESPN Plus subscription.
For everything else that isn't showing on broadcast TV, you'll want to know about NBA League Pass. You can purchase a monthly or annual subscription to watch every out-of-market NBA game live, plus the ability to go back and watch condensed replays. NBA League Pass includes NBA TV, which shows some games exclusively via local affiliate broadcasts.
If you don't have a cable or satellite subscription, you can sign up for one of the live TV streaming services featured below. The list of streaming services offering access to all four broadcast sources of NBA games is thin, but we've scoped out your best options.
Sling TV
Sling TV includes ESPN and TNT as part of its Orange plan for $40 a month. This version of Sling doesn't offer ABC, but NBA games airing on that network are typically simulcast on ESPN2 and ESPN3, which are included with Sling. You can also fill the gap by adding NBA TV to your plan through the Sports Extra package for an additional $11 a month, which brings your total to $51 a month.
New Sling subscribers can get their first month of service for 20$ off thanks to a limited-time deal, which helps make Sling one of the cheapest options for streaming the NBA.
For just the essentials without any extra fluff, Sling TV is the streaming service you're looking for. It's more customizable than other plans, with three options you can choose from, so you pay for only what you need. New members get their first month for $25 off.
Hulu + Live TV
You can get ABC, ESPN/ESPN2, and TNT with a $77 monthly Hulu + Live TV subscription. This option doesn't support League Pass and NBA TV add-ons, but this is a great overall option for sports fans, considering it includes Hulu on-demand content, ESPN Plus, and Disney Plus in one package. You'll get more than 90 live channels in total.
Hulu + Live TV includes over 90 channels, along with Hulu's on-demand library and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. Adding live TV drives up the price significantly, but it's a rolling one-month contract that you're free to cancel at any time. As live TV services go, this is one of the best.
Fubo TV
Fubo is the priciest streaming service on this list and lacks TNT. But you'll get ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 on the base Pro package ($79.99 monthly, before potential discounts). Fubo Extra, an $8 add-on, includes NBA TV. Fubo Extra is included with the Fubo Elite package, which costs $89.99 and adds dozens more channels. You can also add NBA League Pass for another $14.99, guaranteeing access to all out-of-market games.
Fubo is the streaming service for sports fans. Its huge library of channels includes regional and international sports leagues, setting it apart from the competition. You can also tack on additional programming to your plan, but it'll cost you extra.
Max
Max has a new B/R Sports add-on, which is currently free with any regular Max subscription but will eventually cost an additional $9.99 a month. The B/R Sports add-on features several live sports options, including TNT's NBA games. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year for ad-supported plans. In addition to regular season games, the add-on will live stream games from the NBA Playoffs and the Western Conference Finals.
Max is a premium service for fans of prestige television, iconic films, and unscripted programs. Prices start at $10 a month for ad-supported, $17 for ad-free, and $21 if you want to view in 4K.
Watch out-of-market NBA games with League Pass
TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV are the national broadcast partners of the NBA, but they only show select games throughout the season. If you want to follow additional games, subscribe to NBA League Pass to stream out-of-market regular season games from the entire league.
League Pass starts at $15 a month or $99 for a full season; for that price, you can stream the NBA TV channel and stream live games every night with commercials. You can step it up with NBA League Pass Premium for $20 a month or $130 a year. This plan offers commercial-free viewing and lets you watch on two devices simultaneously.
The price to sign up for NBA League Pass decreases as the year goes on, and it's currently on par with monthly subscription prices due to the limited number of games left in the regular season. Games for teams in your local market will be blacked out on NBA League Pass, as will national broadcasts from ESPN, TNT, and ABC.
NBA League Pass lets you stream out of market NBA games all season long. Note: Nationally televised games and local teams are not available live.
Watch NBA games anywhere with a VPN
NBA doesn't offer clean streaming solutions in every country to watch all of this season's games. If you live somewhere that doesn't offer NBA League Pass, you should consider signing up for a VPN.
Short for virtual private network, a VPN will allow websites to see your device as though it's connecting from within whichever country you want. That means you could set it to connect through a United States server to access live TV streaming services like Sling or to sign up for NBA League Pass.
Don't have a VPN? The best VPN we've tested and have been using for years for streaming and beefing up our online security is Express VPN. It's the best investment for sports fans if you know you'll want to watch more international streams for future seasons and events. If you're unsatisfied, there's a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Want to learn more about the product? Take a look at our ExpressVPN review.
Staff Pick
With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
Video Game Reporter
Kevin Webb is a gaming reporter based from the New York City Insider Inc. office. He graduated from Morehouse College in 2013 and worked as an Assistant Editor with Darien Times and as a member of the Shoryuken content team prior to joining Business Insider in 2018. Kevin has also been a competitive Street Fighter player since 2007 and will still take on all challengers. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.
Editorial Fellow
Quentyn Kennemer was a former Editorial Fellow for Insider Reviews. A career tech journalist, reporter, and devout tech-head whose entire life story surrounds the matter, he also loves escaping to fascinating new worlds through video games. In addition to Insider, Quentyn has written and edited for top publications like Forbes, Consumer Reports, Digital Trends, and more.
Associate Editor of Streaming
Lillian Brown is the Associate Editor of Streaming for Business Insider. She joined the company in early 2024 as a Fellow before joining us full-time a few months later. She focuses on 'how to watch' guides for streaming services and live events for the Reviews team. She also covers VPN usage.Her entertainment writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vulture, TV Guide, Time, Esquire, and The Daily Beast, among others. She specializes in writing about film and television. Previously, she worked in the Living/Arts department of The Boston Globe.When not teaching people how to stream the best live sports and TV shows, Lillian can be found long-distance running, watching the latest season of For All Mankind, or playing through The Last of Us Part II on her PS4 yet again.
