There are a lot of changes to the NBA season this year, from the increase in streaming-exclusive games to the intrigue surrounding which teams will make it to the postseason. One big change is that “Inside the NBA,” the studio show that has graced TNT for more than 35 years, is making the journey to a new home for the first time. ESPN will take over broadcasts of the show on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, which means Sling TV is an awesome way to watch them. The show will debut on ESPN on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2, and Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and you can watch the debut with a subscription to Sling TV.

How to watch ‘Inside the NBA’ debut on ESPN

• When: Premieres Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

How to watch ‘Inside the NBA’ launch on ESPN

When does ‘Inside the NBA’ launch on ESPN?

“Inside the NBA” will appear on ESPN at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. Shows will air on ESPN one hour before tipoff on game nights, and the postgame show will start immediately after the game itself. Pregame shows on ABC will start 30 minutes prior to tipoff. Following “NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC,” the show will start immediately when the game ends on ABC and the ESPN app. “Inside the NBA” will be the pregame show for the “NBA Sunday Showcase” series on ABC as well.

Check out “Inside the NBA” regular season dates on ESPN and ABC in the table below.

Why do we recommend watching ‘Inside the NBA’ on Sling TV?

Sling TV offers so many different ways to access ESPN that we have to recommend it for watching the “Inside the NBA” debut on the channel. You can always get ESPN in the Sling Orange at the monthly price of $46, and ensure access on a day-to-day basis for games all throughout the season.

You can also watch just one day of Sling TV with a daily, weekly, or weekend-long subscription for $5, $10, or $15, respectively. This gives you access to just the Sling Orange package for your chosen period of time, and once you’re done, you’re done — no auto-renew, no hidden charges. Sling gives you control over how much “Inside the NBA” you want to watch throughout the season, and you never have to feel locked into paying more than you feel you need to.

Save with Sling

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Sling TV

Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.

You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.

Save with Sling

$19.99+ / month

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Can you watch the ‘Inside the NBA’ launch on ESPN for free?

There are a selection of streaming services that will let you watch “Inside the NBA” on ESPN with a free trial.

DIRECTV allows customers to watch its Genre or Signature packages with a five-day free trial if you receive your channel plan through your own device, instead of getting a DIRECTV Gemini device to stream your plan. You can get ESPN in the MySports package starting at $70 per month if you prefer the Genre Pack route, or you can go with the ENTERTAINMENT package for $90 per month; a free trial comes with both under the conditions described above.

Hulu + Live TV comes with a three-day free trial, after which plans start at $90 per month if you want the Disney Bundle included in your subscription. ESPN is standard on Hulu + Live TV’s base plan.

Fubo carries ESPN in its base Pro plan as well. That starts at $85 per month, or you can get ESPN in the Fubo Sports service for $56 per month. Either way, you’ll get a free trial that can vary in length depending on factors like what time of month you sign up; Fubo offers this trial for between one and seven days.

Finally, YouTube TV comes with a free trial of between two days and up to three weeks, depending on promotional periods and other such variables. After the trial, its base package with ESPN costs $83 per month.

What are all the services you can use to watch ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN?

DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are the five live TV streaming services you can use to watch “Inside the NBA” in its new home. Of these, we prefer Sling TV most highly for the reasons we laid out above.

You can also stream live on the ESPN Unlimited tier of the channel’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service, which starts at $30 per month by itself or with a subscription to the Disney Bundle as well.

Watch King Charles discuss the premiere of ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN?

About ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN

Broadcasting Hall of Famer Ernie Johnson is back as host of “Inside the NBA” once again in 2025, and he’ll be joined by the usual suspects of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, The show will serve as the official pregame, halftime, and postgame show for ABC’s exclusive coverage for the NBA Finals, in a first for the beloved series.

TNT Sports is still producing the show, and it will play an integral role in NBA coverage on ESPN and ABC for marquee events throughout the season — including Christmas Day, national NBA game of the week selections like “Saturday Primetime on ABC,” and “NBA Sunday Showcase.” The crew will be with audiences throughout the playoffs as well.

How to watch ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the ESPN premiere of “Inside the NBA” 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 service like Sling TV in order to stream the show 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