The NBA season is underway, but an announcement on Wednesday proves that the league isn’t just looking to showcase its top-tier teams. The NBA has announced that it will stream eight G League Ignite games free on its new NBA app.
The G League is the NBA’s official development league, and G League Ignite is something of an experiment for the league. It is a team that primarily features players who have decided to skip college and immediately begin their professional careers, either coming directly from high school or from overseas. The 2022-23 NBA G League Ignite roster features several 2023 NBA Draft prospects, including Scoot Henderson, Canadian standout Leonard Miller, NBA Academy graduate Mojave King, French U18 National Team star Sidy Cissoko, and former Washington State forward Efe Abogidi.
The NBA announced the first eight G League Ignite games that will be available on the app, with more to be announced in the coming weeks and months.
How to Watch G League Ignite Games For Free on the New NBA App
| Date | Time (ET) | Home Team | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 4 | 10:00 p.m. | G League Ignite | Oklahoma City Blue |
| Saturday, Nov. 12 | 10:00 p.m. | G League Ignite | Santa Cruz Warriors |
| Monday, Nov. 14 | 8:00 p.m. | Oklahoma City Blue | G League Ignite |
| Friday, Nov. 18 | 10:00 p.m. | G League Ignite | Salt Lake City Stars |
| Monday, Nov. 21 | 10:30 p.m. | Ontario Clippers | G League Ignite |
| Friday, Nov. 25 | 10:00 p.m. | Santa Cruz Warriors | G League Ignite |
| Monday, Nov. 28 | 9:00 p.m. | Salt Lake City Stars | G League Ignite |
| Friday, Dec. 16 | 10:00 p.m. | Santa Cruz Warriors | G League Ignite |
The NBA will also air eight G League Ignite games on the ESPN family of linear networks. The league also plans to stream 200 G League games on ESPN+ this season.
How to Watch G League Ignite Games on ESPN Networks
| Date | Time (ET) | Away Team | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Nov. 6 (ESPNU) | 8:00 p.m. | Salt Lake City Stars | G League Ignite |
| Monday, Nov. 7 (ESPNews) | 10:00 p.m. | G League Ignite | South Bay Lakers |
| Wednesday, Nov. 16 (ESPN+) | 12:00 p.m. | G League Ignite | Oklahoma City Blue |
| Tuesday, Nov. 22 (ESPN+) | 10:30 p.m. | G League Ignite | Ontario Clippers |
| Wednesday, Nov. 30 (ESPN+) | 10:00 p.m. | Stockton Kings | G League Ignite |
| Sunday, Dec. 4 (ESPN2) | 9:00 p.m. | South Bay Lakers | G League Ignite |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 (ESPN+) | 10:00 p.m. | South Bay Lakers | G League Ignite |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 (ESPN2) | 8:00 p.m. | Stockton Kings | G League Ignite |
The league has been bullish about integrating its product more fully in the 2022-23 season, especially when it comes to hot draft prospects. Potential No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and his French team, the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, will see all of their games streamed for free on the NBA app this season.
The league will have competition for viewers this season, however. Prime Video recently signed a multiyear agreement with the elite basketball developmental league Overtime Elite (OTE) which will grant the company exclusive global streaming rights for 20 live games per season. The deal is good for the next three seasons including the postseason, and the 2022 season starts on Friday, Nov. 4.
OTE is a six-team basketball league featuring some of the best 16-to-20-year-old basketball players from around the world. While playing in the league, players receive cutting-edge training and unparalleled resources to prepare them for college and professional basketball. That makes it a direct competitor to the G League, so you can bet the NBA is monitoring the success of OTE basketball closely.
The NBA has lowered the price of League Pass — its out of market games package — to try to keep its viewers from defecting to newer upstart leagues. League Pass is seamlessly integrated into the NBA app, and customers can watch all of their favorite team’s out-of-market games for as little as $89.99 this season.
NBA League Pass
For fans of the NBA, the various League Pass services offer the opportunity to follow one team or the entire league with every game (blackout restrictions apply). Prices and features vary greatly, depending on what you’d like to watch.