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How to Watch NBA Basketball Games Without Cable in 2023

Updated on Jason Gurwin

Best Way to Watch Every NBA Team without Cable

We picked the best live TV streaming services for each NBA team so you won’t miss a single game. Don’t subscribe to one of the sports streaming services until you check your favorite team’s schedule.

Stream NBA Games

We compared the Best NBA Streaming Services to pick the best one for you. The best option depends on where you live and what channel your favorite team plays on.

Our Picks

Top Pick

DIRECTV STREAM

  • ABC, ESPN, TNT, & NBA TV
  • Bally Sports RSNs
  • MSG & YES Network
  • AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
  • AT&T SportsNet Southwest
  • Altitude
  • Spectrum SportsNet

Budget Pick

Sling TV

  • ESPN, TNT, ABC on ESPN3
  • NBA TV (+$11)

Local Market Broadcasts

Most National Basketball Association (NBA) telecasts will air on your Regional Sports Network (RSN). If you follow your hometown team, more than 80% of their games will air on your local RSN.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET 50% OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) ≥ $99.99 - - -

To watch your RSN online without cable, you will need a subscription to one of the major Live TV Streaming Services.

Once you subscribe, you will be able to stream your local NBA games on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, Fire TV, Chromecast, iOS, and Android.

You can stream all 30 NBA teams locally on Live TV Streaming Services:

You can also watch games on Bally Sports RSNs with a subscription to Bally Sports+, which is $19.99 / month, or $189.99 / year ($15.83 / month), after a 7-Day Free Trial. Unlike DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV though, you will need another service to get NBA games on ESPN and TNT.

In Canada, we suggest checking out Sportsnet NOW for 100+ NBA games including 42 Toronto Raptors games this season.

Comparison of RSN Coverage of NBA Teams Across Streaming Services

TBD

Overflow Channels

Some games that appear on overflow channels may require you to watch on Fox Sports Go or NBCSports App.

If you’re looking for your Fox Sports RSN, it was recently rebranded to Bally Sports. Channels like Fox Sports Florida are now Bally Sports Florida. Hornets games will be on Bally Sports Southeast, since they are no longer having a separate Fox Sports Carolinas channel.

New RSN Name Old RSN Name Team
Bally Sports Arizona Fox Sports Arizona Phoenix Suns
Bally Sports Detroit Fox Sports Detroit Detroit Pistons
Bally Sports Florida Fox Sports Florida Miami Heat
Bally Sports Indiana Fox Sports Indiana Indiana Pacers
Bally Sports New Orleans Fox Sports New Orleans New Orleans Pelicans
Bally Sports North Fox Sports North Minnesota Timberwolves
Bally Sports Ohio Fox Sports Ohio Cleveland Cavaliers
Bally Sports Oklahoma Fox Sports Oklahoma Oklahoma City Thunder
Bally Sports South Fox Sports South Atlanta Hawks
Bally Sports Southeast Fox Sports Carolinas Charlotte Hornets
Bally Sports Southwest Fox Sports Southwest Dallas Mavericks
Bally Sports Sun Fox Sports Sun Orlando Magic
Bally Sports Southeast Fox Sports Tennessee Memphis Grizzlies
Bally Sports West Fox Sports West LA Clippers
Bally Sports Wisconsin Fox Sports Wisconsin Milwaukee Bucks

Nationally Televised Broadcasts

Nationally televised games that don’t air on your team’s RSN may air on ESPN, TNT, or ABC. You can get these channels on the lowest tier of every live streaming service except for fuboTV.

Most of these games will air exclusively on these channels and won’t be available on your local RSN. You’ll also need these channels to get NBA Playoff games and the NBA Finals.

NBA TV broadcasts ~100 non-exclusive games per year.

For the general NBA fan, this is a good option to see teams that play outside of your home market.

You won’t be able to watch your local team though, as games of teams in your local market will be blacked out if the game is also being broadcast on your local RSN.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET 50% OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
ABC - -
ESPN - -
TNT - -
NBA TV ≥ $99.99 ^ $11 - - ^ $11 ^ $11

Out-of-Market Broadcasts

If you live away from your favorite team, you can still catch nearly every game. The NBA offers NBA League Pass online for $99.99 per year ($14.99 / month) to watch every team or $89.99 per year ($13.99 a month) to watch a single team’s games.

For $129.99, you can watch all the games with an in-arena stream during commercial breaks, and you will get two simultaneous streams instead of one.

All NBA League Pass now include access to NBA TV, meaning you will get both a 24/7 live stream, along with all live game action on the channel.

Unfortunately, all games on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and telecasts airing in your local market 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, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.

2022-2023 NBA Live TV Schedule

2023 Playoffs
DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up GET 50% OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $40 $40 $72.99
Miami Heat v. Denver Nuggets
Wed, Jun 7 at 8:30 PM
Miami Heat v. Denver Nuggets
Fri, Jun 9 at 8:30 PM
Denver Nuggets v. Miami Heat
Mon, Jun 12 at 8:30 PM
Miami Heat v. Denver Nuggets
Thu, Jun 15 at 8:30 PM
Denver Nuggets v. Miami Heat
Sun, Jun 18 at 8:00 PM

DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.