Sling TV to Make NBA TV Available for Free During First Round of 2023 Playoffs
This is the best time of year to be a basketball fan. The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments just crowned their champions in the UConn Huskies and LSU Tigers respectively, and the NBA is getting ready to wrap up the regular season and move onto the playoffs, and Sling TV wants to make the transition from the college to the pro game a little easier for hoop-lovers.
When the NBA Playoffs kick off next weekend on Saturday, April 15, the live TV streaming service will be making NBA TV free for all users throughout the duration of the first round through April 30. This is a huge boon for basketball fans as NBA TV is only offered in the Sports Extra Pack add-on package which will cost $11 per month, and since the channel will be broadcasting certain first-round playoff matchups, fans are not going to want to miss that action.
With NBA TV free to Sling users, they will have the opportunity to watch every game of the first round on the service. The other channels set to broadcast opening round games — ABC, ESPN, TNT — are all part of the Sling channel lineup, although in a segmented fashion.
The Sling Orange package carries both ESPN and TNT, while the Blue plan has ABC and TNT. Of course, if you combine both plans, you will have access to all four channels carrying the first-round playoff games. Thanks to the streamer’s current deal, new customers receive 50% off their first month of service, so you can get Orange or Blue for $20 or Orange and Blue for $55.
However, if you are only interested in ABC for the NBA games, the most cost-efficient thing to do would be to opt for Sling Orange, and watch the playoff action via ESPN3, which will simulcast all of the games carried on ABC.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN3 | - | + $10 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
This is not the first time that Sling has offered this NBA TV playoff preview. Last season, the streamer made the same deal available, so Sling knows that this is something that appeals to diehard hoopsters. While the first-round matchups aren’t yet set, if you sign up for Sling now, you will be able to watch all of the NBA Play-In Tournament action with Sling Orange beginning on Tuesday, April 11 as those games will be broadcast on ESPN and TNT.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that helps users save money with the option of two distinct plans. The $40/month “Sling Orange” plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/month “Sling Blue” plan offers about 40 channels, including Fox and NBC local channels.