The Rockets are no longer on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. They have a new home for the 2023-2024 season on Space City Home Network. So if you live in the Houston area, you can watch the Rockets’ entire 82-game schedule along with four preseason games on Space City Home Network. However, Rockets Fans living outside of the Rockets’ TV market will need another solution.
Watch Every Rockets Game This Season
- Houston Rockets TV Market: throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico
- Best Solution when inside their TV Market: Every Rockets game this season is on Space City Home Network. You can watch through the DIRECTV STREAM or fuboTV.
- Best Solution when living Outside the Rockets TV Market: Watch nearly all Rockets games on NBA League Pass (sign up online). The Rockets have a few nationally televised games on ESPN, ABC, TNT or NBA TV which won’t be on NBA League Pass. Read on to learn how to watch those nationally televised games.
What Channel Are The Rockets On
Where you can watch the Houston Rockets depends on whether or not you live inside the Houston Rockets TV market (throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico). If you live inside that market, you can watch Rockets games on their new home, Space City Home Network on DIRECTV STREAM or FuboTV.
However, if you live outside that market, you will need a subscription to NBA League Pass, and a streaming service that carries ESPN, as the Rockets have 1 nationally broadcast game on ESPN that won’t stream through NBA League Pass. Let’s take a look at your options based on where you live.
Watching Rockets Games In Market
If you live in the Rockets TV market, you just need Space City Home Network to watch every Rockets game this season. That network is available on DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a live streaming service that carries Space City Home Network for those living in their broadcast region. However, you must subscribe to their “Choice” package for $108.99 per month. They provide a no-risk 5-day free trial. They don’t force you into a contract, and you can cancel at any time. DIRECTV STREAM also carries ESPN, NBA TV, ABC, and TNT, which are all the networks that air nationally televised NBA games.
The service also includes a cloud DVR service and allows you to simultaneously stream to an unlimited number of devices in the home, and up to 3 outside the home. DIRECTV STREAM is supported on Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Roku, and more. See our review of DIRECTV STREAM for more details on this streaming service.
fuboTV
fuboTV carries Space City Home Network for those living in their broadcast region so you can watch Rockets games. FuboTV costs $74.99. However, fuboTV subscribers in this area will be subject to a mandatory $10-13 per month regional sports fee depending on where you live. Also, fuboTV lacks TNT, and while you can watch every Rockets game on Space City Home Network, you will miss quite a few big NBA games if you don’t have TNT.
FuboTV offers a 1-Week Free Trial. There is no contract, and you can cancel any time. If you cancel during your free trial, you will not be charged at all. Here are some features included with your subscription to fuboTV:
- live local CBS, FOX, and NBC broadcast in many parts of the country
- a ton of channels you usually find on cable like ESPN, FS1, and more
- a cloud DVR for recording TV shows
- stream to 2 devices at once (can upgrade to more)
You can watch the Rockets online or on your TV using a supported streaming device like a Roku or Fire TV Stick. For more information on this streaming service, see our guide to fuboTV. To learn more about fuboTV’s regional sports fee, see this fuboTV support page.
Watching Rockets Games Outside of Their TV Market
If you live outside the Rockets market, then most games will be available with a subscription to NBA League Pass. The exception is Rockets games nationally broadcast on ESPN and TNT. To watch those games, you need a streaming service that carries those channels; like DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV. I cover these services below.
NBA League Pass
To watch most Rockets games if you live outside the Houston market, you will need NBA League Pass. NBA League Pass will show every Rockets game except the ones exclusively airing nationally on TNT, ABC, and ESPN. NBA League Pass also provides access to NBA TV, so you are covered when they broadcast the occasional Rockets game. This season that should only be the 1 game in January between the Rockets and Pistons.
NBA League Pass provides three ways to subscribe:
- Team Pass – Watch live, out-of-market games for the Houston Rockets for $13.99 per month or $89.99 per year.
- League Pass – Watch live, out-of-market games for the Houston Rockets and every other team for $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
- Premium League Pass – Watch live, out-of-market games for every team for $22.99 per month or $149.99 per year. (commercial-free)
Keep in mind that there are blackout rules in effect. Games won’t be aired live if:
- They are being broadcast on ESPN, ABC, or TNT. (NBA TV is included with a subscription to NBA League pass.
- They are being broadcast where you live on the regional sports network’s broadcast area that owns the rights to air NBA games in your area. You will need a streaming service that carries your regional sports network like DIRECTV STREAM (sign up), to watch those games.
The Rockets Game on ESPN
DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV carry ESPN so you can watch the lone nationally broadcast Rockets games. Note that NBA TV is included with a subscription to NBA League Pass. So, just one of those services in addition to a subscription to NBA League Pass will provide live access to every Rockets game if you live outside their TV market.
Sling TV‘s Orange Plan carries ESPN for a cost of $40 per month. Signing up for this Sling Plan and NBA League Pass will allow you to watch all 82 Rockets’ games this season if you live outside of their TV market. You pay month to month with no contract and can cancel at any time. The service supports iOS, Android, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more. The base price includes a cloud DVR. (see our review of Sling TV)
DIRECTV STREAM includes TNT, ESPN, and ABC and costs $79.99 per month. NBA TV is available on an upgraded plan. You can take advantage of their 5-day free trial. and they don’t force you into a contract, so you can cancel at any time. The service also includes a cloud DVR service and allows you to simultaneously stream to an unlimited number of devices in the home, and up to 3 outside the home. DIRECTV STREAM is supported on Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, iOS, Android, Roku, and more. See our review of DIRECTV STREAM for more details on this streaming service.
YouTube TV also provides ESPN, ABC, and TNT in their base package for $72.99 per month. The live streaming service also includes a DVR and supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. Like the other services, YouTube TV offers a free trial, cloud DVR, local broadcast channels, and many other features. Please read our review of YouTube TV for more details on their service.
Hulu Live TV costs $76.99 per month. After you sign up, the service provides ESPN, TNT, and ABC so you can watch nationally televised NBA games. You pay month to month with no contract and can cancel at any time. The service supports iOS, Android, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more. The base price includes a cloud DVR and the ability to stream on two devices at once, but the option to upgrade to unlimited streams. Hulu Live TV includes Hulu streaming library. (see our review of Hulu Live TV)
