WHAT IS THE BEST STREAMING SERVICE FOR NBA GAMES?
Streaming NBA Games: All You Need to Know About Your Options
Do you love basketball? What can be better than watching your favorite team in the comfort of your own home!
There are many ways to stream NBA games, but which one is right for you? In this we’ll compare some popular streaming services so you can find out.
No matter what kind of TV streamer you may be, there is a perfect service waiting for you. It just depends on what kind of experience you want from your entertainment provider!
Much like the NFL, the NBA is an extremely hot commodity in entertainment. This is why every major broadcasting company over the years has worked to have a piece of the action.
What is the Best Streaming Service for NBA Games?
This year NBA regular-season games will once again be spread across ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT. These cable networks have had to diversify over the last few years as the market has moved more and more towards user oriented streaming services.
This allows many sports fans to catch their favorite games without catching their least favorite bill- the cable bill. Below we’ve listed some of the best streaming options for NBA coverage out there:
HULU+Live TV : Starting at $64.99 a month, Hulu + Live TV includes all of the channels you need to watch nationally broadcast regular-season NBA games and an expansive on-demand library, but it lacks RSNs from Sinclair and AT&T which may dissuade certain fans.
YouTube TV: For $64.99 a month YouTube TV has every channel you need to stream national broadcasts of NBA games this season and offers excellent DVR features but doesn't include Bally Sports or SportsNet RSNs. It offers comparable pricing to Hulu however beyond NBA streaming, Hulu generally offers a better overall library.
Fubo TV: Starting at $64.99 a month FuboTV has the channels needed to stream NBA games, but it is missing the TNT network which is not ideal. It also requires you to pay an extra $28.99 for NBA TV, although it is the exact same price offered at NBA.com, it is not included in their default package price of $64.99. Fubo TV also includes some SportsNet and independent RSNs with plans to add more blackout games in the future.
Sling TV: Starting at $10 for the first month, and $35 a month afterwards, Sling TV offers a package called Sling Orange for basketball and sports fans. This package includes the major nationally broadcast games. You can also add their Sports Extra package for only $11 more, which includes 11 more sports channels, and most importantly, NBA TV. Competitively priced and without long term contracts, Sling TV has been building out their sports media packages steadily the last few years.
DIRECTV Streaming: Starting at $69.99 a month for the 65-channel Entertainment package, DIRECTV Streaming provides a large amount of coverage of the NBA games this season. The service provides all nationally broadcast NBA games at this level but not any blackout games. You do have the option to receive 25 more channels including RSN’s from Comcast, AT&T, and Sinclair for an additional $15 a month with their Choice tier.
NBA League Pass: This service provides 3 tiers of service for streaming NBA games at $17.99 for Team Pass, $28.99 for League Pass, and $39.99 for League Pass Premium. Team Pass allows you to stream live games of one team of your choice. The League Pass allows you to stream live games for all teams. The League Pass Premium allows you to stream all live games with no commercials and on two devices. All three packages allow downloading of games for offline viewing, condensed 10 minute replays of games, and home and away team broadcasting options.
Unfortunately, blackout game restrictions apply so you won’t be able to watch every single game without access to RSNs. However, NBA League Pass offers the most concentrated and broad range for streaming NBA games compared to other streaming platforms.
How to Watch NBA Games Live
NBA’s league pass, as mentioned above, allows you to watch live games with no commercials. You can also catch live games using the streaming services above, and via traditional cable channels like ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT.
A Note on Blackout Games
It’s also important to remember that the NBA, much like the NFL, has some blackout games that are not broadcast on the national channels mentioned above.
These game broadcasts are delegated to RSNs, or Regional Sports Networks. Most RSNs are owned either by Sinclair (Bally Sports), Comcast (NBC Sports), or AT&T (SportsNet) and many streaming services work with these groups in order to provide those games. It’s important to check which RSN carries your favorite team’s blackout games.
Below we will list the streaming services that provide NBA games and the details surrounding each of them including which RSN they support.
Considerations for the Next Season
Keep in mind that like the NFL, the NBA frequently changes their contracts up- meaning the solution you had for streaming live games this coming season may not work the next- which once again points us towards the-
Best NBA Streaming Service Overall
For those looking to follow the NBA this season or next and cheer on their team it is clear that the best option for streaming NBA games overall is NBA League Pass. NBA League Pass is significantly more affordable and provides the most access without having to pay for a collection of different channels. Plus, with their commercial-free top tier costing only $39.99 a month, they blow every other service's basic packages out of the water. For true NBA fans who refuse to miss a game the answer is simple: NBA League Pass.
Do you love basketball? What can be better than watching your favorite team in the comfort of your own home!
There are many ways to stream NBA games, but which one is right for you? In this we’ll compare some popular streaming services so you can find out.
No matter what kind of TV streamer you may be, there is a perfect service waiting for you. It just depends on what kind of experience you want from your entertainment provider!
Much like the NFL, the NBA is an extremely hot commodity in entertainment. This is why every major broadcasting company over the years has worked to have a piece of the action.
What is the Best Streaming Service for NBA Games?
This year NBA regular-season games will once again be spread across ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT. These cable networks have had to diversify over the last few years as the market has moved more and more towards user oriented streaming services.
This allows many sports fans to catch their favorite games without catching their least favorite bill- the cable bill. Below we’ve listed some of the best streaming options for NBA coverage out there:
HULU+Live TV : Starting at $64.99 a month, Hulu + Live TV includes all of the channels you need to watch nationally broadcast regular-season NBA games and an expansive on-demand library, but it lacks RSNs from Sinclair and AT&T which may dissuade certain fans.
YouTube TV: For $64.99 a month YouTube TV has every channel you need to stream national broadcasts of NBA games this season and offers excellent DVR features but doesn't include Bally Sports or SportsNet RSNs. It offers comparable pricing to Hulu however beyond NBA streaming, Hulu generally offers a better overall library.
Fubo TV: Starting at $64.99 a month FuboTV has the channels needed to stream NBA games, but it is missing the TNT network which is not ideal. It also requires you to pay an extra $28.99 for NBA TV, although it is the exact same price offered at NBA.com, it is not included in their default package price of $64.99. Fubo TV also includes some SportsNet and independent RSNs with plans to add more blackout games in the future.
Sling TV: Starting at $10 for the first month, and $35 a month afterwards, Sling TV offers a package called Sling Orange for basketball and sports fans. This package includes the major nationally broadcast games. You can also add their Sports Extra package for only $11 more, which includes 11 more sports channels, and most importantly, NBA TV. Competitively priced and without long term contracts, Sling TV has been building out their sports media packages steadily the last few years.
DIRECTV Streaming: Starting at $69.99 a month for the 65-channel Entertainment package, DIRECTV Streaming provides a large amount of coverage of the NBA games this season. The service provides all nationally broadcast NBA games at this level but not any blackout games. You do have the option to receive 25 more channels including RSN’s from Comcast, AT&T, and Sinclair for an additional $15 a month with their Choice tier.
NBA League Pass: This service provides 3 tiers of service for streaming NBA games at $17.99 for Team Pass, $28.99 for League Pass, and $39.99 for League Pass Premium. Team Pass allows you to stream live games of one team of your choice. The League Pass allows you to stream live games for all teams. The League Pass Premium allows you to stream all live games with no commercials and on two devices. All three packages allow downloading of games for offline viewing, condensed 10 minute replays of games, and home and away team broadcasting options.
Unfortunately, blackout game restrictions apply so you won’t be able to watch every single game without access to RSNs. However, NBA League Pass offers the most concentrated and broad range for streaming NBA games compared to other streaming platforms.
How to Watch NBA Games Live
NBA’s league pass, as mentioned above, allows you to watch live games with no commercials. You can also catch live games using the streaming services above, and via traditional cable channels like ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT.
A Note on Blackout Games
It’s also important to remember that the NBA, much like the NFL, has some blackout games that are not broadcast on the national channels mentioned above.
These game broadcasts are delegated to RSNs, or Regional Sports Networks. Most RSNs are owned either by Sinclair (Bally Sports), Comcast (NBC Sports), or AT&T (SportsNet) and many streaming services work with these groups in order to provide those games. It’s important to check which RSN carries your favorite team’s blackout games.
Below we will list the streaming services that provide NBA games and the details surrounding each of them including which RSN they support.
Considerations for the Next Season
Keep in mind that like the NFL, the NBA frequently changes their contracts up- meaning the solution you had for streaming live games this coming season may not work the next- which once again points us towards the-
Best NBA Streaming Service Overall
For those looking to follow the NBA this season or next and cheer on their team it is clear that the best option for streaming NBA games overall is NBA League Pass. NBA League Pass is significantly more affordable and provides the most access without having to pay for a collection of different channels. Plus, with their commercial-free top tier costing only $39.99 a month, they blow every other service's basic packages out of the water. For true NBA fans who refuse to miss a game the answer is simple: NBA League Pass.
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