How to Stream Live NBA Games Without Cable For 2021-22 Season – And What’s New for NBA Fans in Streaming
The NBA season is tipping off this week and you might be wondering – how can I stream my favorite team’s games? While for NBA teams it has gotten a bit more difficult, some there are more options than ever.
We will break down how you can watch your favorite team on your local RSN, nationally televised games, and out-of-market games during the 2021-22 NBA season.
Our Picks
DIRECTV STREAM℠
- ESPN, TNT, & NBA TV
- Bally Sports RSNs / Fox Sports RSNs
- MSG
- YES Network
- Spectrum SportsNet
- AT&T SportsNet & ROOT Sports
- Altitude
NBA League Pass
- 1,000+ Out-of-Market Games
- Add NBA TV For $30
- Also Available on DIRECTV STREAM ($39.99/month)
Availability of RSNs varies by ZIP code and package.
What’s New for the 2021-2022 NBA Season?
- You can now stream every NBA team locally with Live TV Streaming Service
- YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, fuboTV and Sling TV no longer carry Sinclair-owned Bally Sports RSNs and YES Network
- DIRECTV STREAM (previously AT&T TV) is the only option to stream Bally Sports RSNs and YES Network as part of their $84.99 a month + tax CHOICE™ package
- fuboTV has added ROOT Sports Northwest (Portland Trail Blazers) and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah Jazz) giving a cheaper option to stream those teams in-market
- NBA League Pass is the same price as last season, but now offer their NBA TV Add-On For $30 (was $60)
Local Telecasts on RSNs
For those who want to stream games in their local market, you will still need a Live TV Streaming Service. Which service you should choose really depends on what team you follow.
After YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and fuboTV each dropped Bally Sports RSNs and YES Network, for most teams your only option to get these channels is DIRECTV STREAM CHOICE™ ($84.99/mo. + tax) to stream most NBA games, where available.
DIRECTV STREAM also carries MSG, Spectrum SportsNet, Altitude, ROOT Sports Northwest, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain and AT&T SportsNet Southwest. It is the only service that will get you those RSNs, along with nationally televised games on TNT and ESPN. You will also get NBA TV.
You can visit directv.com/stream/ to see what RSNs are available in your area.
For teams carried on NBC Sports-owned RSNs like the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, you have multiple options to stream like Hulu Live TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV.
If you want to stream games on MSG (New York Knicks), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston Rockets), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah Jazz), and ROOT Sports Northwest (Portland Trail Blazers) your least expensive option is fuboTV ($64.99), which is available with a 7-Day Free Trial. While you will get nationally televised games on ESPN, they don’t carry TNT.
Least Expensive Option For Each Team
- DIRECTV STREAM ($84.99/mo. + tax) is the only Live TV Streaming Service that offers Bally Sports RSNs, Spectrum SportsNet (Lakers), YES Network (Nets), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah Jazz), and Altitude (Nuggets)
- fuboTV is the least expensive option for MSG (Knicks), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Rockets), ROOT Sports Northwest (Trail Blazers), ROOT Sports Northwest (Trail Blazers), which are also available on DIRECTV STREAM
- NBC Sports RSNs are carried by nearly all of the Live TV Streaming Services like fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV
RSNs are not available in all areas and may vary by ZIP code and package.
RSNs are not available in all areas and may vary by ZIP code and package.
National Telecasts
NBA TV will carry over 100 games during the regular season, while ESPN will carry 80 matchups, and TNT over 60, including an opener night doubleheader.
While some games on TNT and ESPN will be available nationally, when your local RSN is also airing the game, the national telecast will usually be blacked out in your local market. Games on NBA TV will always be blacked out in your local market.
Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, and YouTube TV each carry ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV. Sling TV ($35) includes ESPN and TNT in their Sling Orange Plan, while NBA TV is part of their Sports Extra Add-On ($11). For a limited time, you can get Sling Orange for just $10 For Your First Month.
Hulu Live TV, which offers a 7-Day Free Trial, offers ESPN and TNT, but doesn’t have NBA TV, while YouTube TV has all three. fuboTV has ESPN and includes NBA TV in their Sports Plus Add-on ($11), which also includes NHL Network, MLB Network, and NFL RedZone.
| DIRECTV STREAM | fuboTV | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Up | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get $25 OFF | Sign Up | ||
| $69.99 | $64.99 | $64.99 | $25 | $35 | $35 | $64.99 | |
| ESPN | • | • | • | - | • | - | • |
| ESPN2 | • | • | • | - | • | - | • |
| NBA TV | $84.99/mo.+tax | ^ $11 | - | - | ^ $11 | ^ $11 | • |
| TNT | • | - | • | - | • | • | • |
Out-Of-Market Telecasts
If you live away from your favorite team, you can still catch nearly every game. The NBA offers it’s out-of-market package, NBA League Pass, for $200 to watch every team, NBA Team Pass for $120 for a single team, or $6.99 for an single game.
Fans can upgrade to NBA League Pass Premium ($250) which replaces commercials with an in-arena stream and allows two people to stream at the same time.
NBA League Pass also includes the option to add NBA TV to your subscription — which is an additional $30 if you bundle it with your League Pass subscription (half the price of last season). If not, unfortunately, all games on NBA TV, in addition to TNT, ESPN, ABC, and local telecasts will be blacked out. You will need a Live TV Streaming Service for that.
You can still subscribe to NBA League Pass through other providers. It is available through Amazon Prime Video Channels, DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.