How To Watch The NBA TV Channel Without Cable

NBA TV is a TV channel that broadcasts around 100 NBA games this season. While the channel is available through many cable providers, there are several other ways to stream NBA TV if you don’t have cable. This guide covers all the ways to stream NBA TV without cable and includes the NBA TV broadcast schedule for the rest of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Do You Need NBA TV

Before I go over where you can stream NBA TV, let’s first see if you need the channel. Teams playing in a game scheduled to air on NBA TV only air on NBA TV outside the TV market of both teams.

For example, let’s assume the Lakers are playing the Celtics on NBA TV. Only fans outside of Los Angeles and Boston can watch that game on NBA TV. Fans in Los Angeles can watch the game on Spectrum Sportsnet (the Lakers regional network), while fans in Boston can watch on NBC Sports Boston (the Celtics Regional Network).

Ultimately, you don’t need NBA TV if you are only concerned with watching your local NBA Team. If your local team is scheduled to play on NBA TV, you must watch that game on your team’s RSN. Check out our NBA Team Pages to see how to stream your team’s Regional Sports Network (RSN).

Lastly, You won’t need to worry about streaming NBA TV if you subscribe to NBA League Pass. That service includes a subscription to NBA TV. You can watch through the NBA app on your TV-connected or mobile device.

Where To Stream NBA TV

You can stream NBA TV live through several different streaming services. NBA TV is included in the base channel package for YouTube TV. NBA TV is also available in channel add-on packages or plan upgrades through Sling, fubo, and DIRECTV STREAM. NBA TV is not available through Hulu + Live TV or Vidgo. NBA TV is also included with a subscription to NBA League Pass. Below is information on subscribing to NBA TV through these streaming services.

NBA TV on Sling TV

Sling TV is the next most affordable option to watch NBA TV. The channel is available through both the Sling TV “Orange” and “Blue package by adding the “Sports Extra” add-on channel pack. The additional sports package costs an additional $11 per month on top of the $40 for one of the Sling TV basic packages, bringing the total to $51 per month.

While Sling TV’s “Blue” carries NBA TV, NBA fans will likely want to go with the “Orange” plan since it includes ESPN, a must-have channel for its exclusive nationally broadcast NBA games. The Orange plan only allows one stream at a time. You could opt to subscribe to both plans for $55 per month.

Sling TV is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more, so you can watch NBA TV on a TV, tablet, computer, or other smart devices.  There are more channels available on Sling TV than what I’ve mentioned here. To find out more, check out this detailed review of Sling TV. You can sign up for Sling here. You can cancel at any time, as there are no contracts or long-term commitments.

NBA TV on YouTube TV

YouTube TV also carries NBA TV in its base channel lineup for $72.99 per month after a free trial. YouTube TV is the second most affordable way to stream NBA TV after Sling. There is no long-term contract, and if you cancel within the trial period, you will not be charged.

YouTube TV provides:

• access to NBA TV, Local Network Channels, and over 70 other channels
• unlimited cloud DVR storage
• stream on three devices at once
• YouTube TV supports Roku, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more.
• Includes YouTube TV on-demand

Check our review of YouTube TV for more details.

NBA TV on DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREA is another way to watch NBA TV live. The cheapest way to watch NBA TV through the service is to subscribe to their Entertainment plan for $79.99 per month and add the DIRECTV sports pack for an additional $14.99 per month. NBA TV is also included in higher-tier channel plans, starting with the “Choice” plan for $108.99 per month.

You can sign up online, they don’t force you into a contract, and you can cancel at any time. Service starts with a 5-day free trial for new customers. 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:

• 4th Gen Apple TV
• Google Chromecast, 2nd gen and higher
• Amazon Fire TV
• Fire TV Stick
• iOS devices
• Android
• Chrome and Safari browsers
• Roku
• and more

See our review of DIRECTV STREAM for more details on this streaming service.

NBA TV on FuboTV

While NBA TV is available on fubo TV, I usually don’t recommend it to NBA fans. Fubo doesn’t carry TNT, which carries 65 nationally broadcast NBA games this season. Those are big games most NBA fans want to watch.

NBA TV is available through the “fubo Extra” channel add-on for $7.99 per month after subscribing to the “Pro” plan for $74.99 per month. Fubo offers NBA TV, along with 100+ other channels. Fubo TV doesn’t force you into a contract and starts new subscribers with a 1-week free trial. Service is month to month, and you can cancel at any time. If you cancel during the free trial, you won’t be charged for your first month. Fubo’s Pro plan includes the following features:

• Live NBA TV, ESPN, and more are available in fuboTV’s channel lineup
• You can watch on three screens at the same time 
• 250 hours of cloud DVR storage
• The FuboTV app is available on major platforms, including Apple TV, AndroidTV, Roku, and Amazon FireTV. 

You can sign up for fuboTV or check out our review of FuboTV for more details.

NBA TV is Included in League Pass

NBA TV is a channel you get when subscribing to NBA League Pass. Subscribers can stream the channel on their mobile phones and TV-connected devices like Roku, gaming consoles, tablets, and web browsers.

NBA League Pass provides three ways to subscribe:

• Team Pass – Watch live, out-of-market games for a single NBA team 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 (like DIRECTV STREAM) that carries your regional sports network to watch those games.

Once subscribed to NBA League Pass, you watch through the NBA app. You can download the NBA app to any of the following devices:

• iOS
• Android
• Roku
• Apple TV
• Amazon Fire TV
• Android TV
• PlayStation 4 and 5
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X
• PC and Mac Browsers

Once you download the NBA app, you can watch NBA TV on your TV-connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, etc.) Follow the example below:

1. Go to the channel store on your device.
2. Search for the NBA app and add it to your device.
3. Open the app, and click the setting gear from the top right of the menu.
4. Then select “Sign in” on the League Pass Screen (NBA TV is considered a part of League Pass).
5. Enter the email and password associated with your NBA TV account
6. You can now watch NBA TV on your TV through the NBA app

Frequently Asked Questions about Watching NBA TV

Below are questions Grounded Reason visitors commonly ask about NBA TV.

Why is NBA TV Blocked In My Area?

If you live in the TV market for either NBA team playing in a game airing on NBA TV, the broadcast will be blacked out. Instead, the game will air on each team’s regional sports network within their TV market. See how to watch your favorite NBA Team for information on watching your local team.

NBA TV isn’t available in Belarus, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Libya, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Does NBA TV Show Every NBA Game?

No. NBA TV only broadcasts select games each season. You can see this year’s remaining NBA TV schedule below.

Can I Subscribe Directly to NBA TV?

Yes. However, it isn’t easy to find on their website. To subscribe directly to NBA TV, go to the NBA League pass page and scroll to the bottom. You will see a link that reads, “Only want NBA TV? Get it here.” Click the link and follow the signup prompts. A subscription to just NBA TV costs $59.99 per season.

Can I Get NBA TV for Free?

You can get NBA TV for free for a short time. If you haven’t signed up for any of the following services, you can take advantage of the following free trials and watch NBA TV for free for a short time. This is a great way to watch your team if they only have a few games you want to watch on NBA TV.

• YouTube TV – provides a 1-week free trial
• DIRECTV STREAM – Provides a 5-day free trial
• Fubo – provides a 1-week free trial

Just remember to cancel before the trial expires so you aren’t charged for your first month.

What is The Difference Between NBA League Pass and NBA TV?

NBA League Pass is a subscription to a streaming service that streams in-season NBA games that don’t involve your local team and aren’t airing nationally on TNT, ESPN, or ABC. For example, Wizards games will black out on League Pass if you live in and around Washington, D.C. See our guide to NBA League Pass for more details.

NBA TV is a TV Network that broadcasts around 100 elect NBA Games a season. Access to a Stream of NBA TV is included with a subscription to NBA League Pass. You can subscribe directly to NBA TV or watch NBA TV on various streaming services as described in this guide.

Can I Watch The NBA Playoffs on NBA TV?

Some NBA Playoff games may air on NBA TV, but not all. Coverage of the NBA playoffs is split between ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV.

Can I Watch NBA TV on Roku?

Yes. All the streaming services that carry NBA TV support Roku. If you subscribed to a streaming service like YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM, or Sling, you would download that app to your Roku and watch NBA TV through that streaming service’s in-app live TV Guide.

If you subscribed directly to NBA TV or NBA League Pass, then you can watch NBA TV on your Roku by downloading the NBA app to your device.

You can also watch NBA TV using Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TV, and other supported devices

Can I Watch NBA TV on my Phone

Yes. You can watch NBA TV on your iOS or Android phone. You would need a subscription to a streaming service that carries NBA TV and download the streaming services app to your smartphone. If you subscribed to NBA TV directly or have NBA League Pass, then you would need to download the NBA app to your phone and sign in with your account.