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See the NBA’s best in action with Christmas Day lineup of games!

See the NBA’s best in action with Christmas Day lineup of games!

The Celtics, Lakers, Nuggets, and more of the NBA’s greatest are in action on Christmas!

The NFL may be trying to take over Christmas, but NBA fans know which sport really owns the holiday. A total of five NBA games will air on Christmas Day, and each game will be available to stream on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, and Disney+ (more on this last one below). The action starts at 12 noon ET, and continues through 10:30 p.m. You can watch every game with a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV.

How to watch 2024 Christmas Day NBA games

Everything you need to know about 2024 Christmas Day NBA games

Watch a preview of 2024 Christmas Day NBA games

About 2024 Christmas Day NBA games

The full slate of games starts at noon with a matchup featuring Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs against Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. The day’s action continues with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves facing Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, then Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the world champion Boston Celtics.

The night finishes with two marquee Western Conference games: first, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and the night finishes with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets traveling to the desert to face the Phoenix Suns.

What’s the schedule of 2024 Christmas Day NBA games?

Date Time (ET) Matchup Platform
Wednesday, Dec. 25 12 noon San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks ABC, ESPN, Disney+, ESPN+
2:30 p.m. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks ABC, ESPN, Disney+, ESPN+
5 p.m. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics ABC, ESPN, Disney+, ESPN+
8 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors ABC, ESPN, Disney+, ESPN+
10:30 p.m. Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns ABC, ESPN, Disney+, ESPN+

Why we recommend Hulu + Live TV to watch 2024 Christmas Day NBA games

Hulu + Live TV is our best choice here for a couple of reasons. You can watch ABC in most major markets, and ESPN everywhere with this streamer. It comes with a three-day free trial, and users who sign up for the $83-per-month package get Disney+ and ESPN+, along with Hulu at no additional cost.

Can you watch 2024 Christmas NBA games for free?

Hulu + Live TV isn’t the only streamer that’s offering the games at no cost with a free viewing period. DIRECTV STREAM also has the linear channels you’ll need to watch in most areas, and it offers a five-day trial. YouTube TV also comes with a free trial, though the length of that trial depends on what time of month you sign up.

What are all the streamers can you use to watch 2024 Christmas NBA games?

As mentioned above, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV are the three streaming services you can use to watch Christmas NBA games at no cost. You can also see the games on Fubo with ABC and ESPN, or watch on Sling TV using ESPN and ESPN3, which simulcasts all live events on ABC.

Viewers can use a standalone ESPN+ subscription to watch all games starting at $12 per month, but if you bundle ESPN+ and Disney+ together, you’ll be able to catch every game on the latter service as well. Disney+ also host the “Dunk the Halls” presentation of the Spurs vs. Knicks game along with ESPN+ and ESPN2.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Free 3-Day Trial Free Trial Get 50% OFF Sign Up
$86.99 $94.99 $82.99 $28 $45.99 $45.99 $82.99
ABC - -
ESPN - -
ESPN2 - -
ESPN3 + $20 - -

How to watch 2024 Christmas NBA games from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the games as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like Hulu + Live TV in order to stream the 2024 Christmas Day NBA game lineup with a VPN.

NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!

While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

  • Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
  • Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
  • Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available

David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

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