LeBron is on the Lakers. Kawhi got shipped north to Toronto. Hayward and Kyrie are back and ready to play more than five minutes together this year in Boston. Golden State has added Boogie. The upcoming NBA season has a lot of big names playing in new places (or, in the the case of the Celtics, returning names returning from injury, horrific or otherwise). Can LeBron lead the Lakers back to the playoffs? Do the Raptors or Celtics have enough pieces to take down the Warriors? Can anyone stop the Warriors? We’ll find out the answers to these questions over the course of the season. Here’s what you need to know to watch all of the NBA action this year.
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Watching NBA on TV
You can watch nationally televised games on ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, ABC and NBA TV. Your local team’s game are broadcast on a regional sports network (RSN), either a Fox Sports or NBC Sports RSN in most cases (there are a handful of independent RSNs). You’ll need a pay TV subscription to tune into your regional Fox Sports or NBC Sports network.
Livestreaming NBA online
You’ve got two options for streaming NBA games live online: buying an NBA League Pass subscription or subscribing to a streaming service. The former only works if you follow an out-of-market team, and the latter is better if you are a fan of the local team.
NBA League Pass
With NBA League Pass, your local team’s games are blacked out along with nationally televised games. You can watch all out-of-market games (unless they are on ESPN, TNT or another national broadcast) for $200 for the season (or $29 a month), or you can sign up to watch only your favorite out-of-market team’s games for $120 for the season (or $18 a month). NBA League Pass is supported on a number of devices. There’s also a free preview of League Pass for the first week of the season, from Oct. 16 to Oct. 23.
If you live in your favorite team’s market, then here are the options for livestreaming your local team:
Sling TV
Sling TV’s $25-a-month Sling Orange package includes ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT but not regional Fox Sports and NBC Sports networks. The $25-a-month Sling Blue package includes an RSN with your local team’s games in the following NBA markets: Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Phoenix, Sacramento, Charlotte, Memphis, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando, Detroit, Minneapolis or Cleveland. The Sport Extra package adds NBA TV and costs a $5 a month for Sling Orange subscribers and $10 for Sling Blue subscribers. Sling TV does not currently offer ABC in any of its plans or add-ons.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue’s $45-a-month Access plan gets you the national games on ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT. The $50-a-month Core plan includes Fox Sports RSNs and NBA TV, and the $10-a-month Sports Pack add-on features your local NBC Sports RSN.
DirectTV Now
DirectTV Now’s basic $40-a-month package includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT and ABC, but you’ll need to spring for the $65-a-month plan for NBA TV. Click here to check to see which RSNs it carries in your area.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV costs $40 a month and includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT and ABC along with local Fox Sports and NBC Sports RSNs. It does not feature NBA TV. Check out which live, local channels and RSNs Hulu with Live TV offers in your area.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV costs $40 a month and includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, ABC and NBA TV along with local Fox Sports and NBC Sports RSNs. Get the details about YouTube TV’s available networks and RSNs here.
FuboTV
Sports-centric streaming service FuboTV costs $40 for the first month before jumping up to $45 a month. It includes both Fox Sports and NBC Sports RSNs for local team coverage but lacks ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC for nationally televised games. It does, however, include TNT and NBA TV.