Cut the Cord and Stream the 2024–25 NBA Season
October 22, 2024
Debbie and I recently switched ISPs and dropped our cable TV. We picked up YouTubeTV to give us the local channels and some other options though we don’t watch a ton of TV. The only thing I can say is ‘why did I wait so long?’ Besides saving us a few bucks on internet and TV the other (rather unexpected) benefit was getting rid of a second remote.
I’m also enjoying being able to manage the guide on YouTubeTV by moving the channels we watch most to the top of the list. And remove channel selections we have never or will never watch. Something pretty simple but we didn’t have this with our cable provider. I bring this up as it gives me easy access to watch plenty of NBA games on a variety of channels.
As the 2024–25 NBA season tips off today, I’d imagine there are even more hard core NBA fans than me looking at options to watch their favorite teams and players. If you’re a cord cutter or considering it, watching NBA games continues to be a challenge for cord-cutters. Big games are broadcast nationally on ABC, ESPN/ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV, and you can get most (or all) of these covered with a single live TV streaming package. Unfortunately, regional sports networks (RSNs), which air the majority of games, are still hard to find on major streaming services. Many RSNs, such as Fox Sports, NBC Sports, YES Network, and Marquee Sports Network, remain unavailable on popular platforms due to ongoing carriage-fee disputes.
RSNs are even more essential to NBA viewing now that the league has introduced its In-Season Tournament, re-branded this year as the Emirates NBA Cup. The bulk of the 30-team tournament — which runs from November 12 through December 17 — will air on the respective team’s local home network.
Whether you want to watch the battle for the NBA cup or you’re mainly interested in following your favorite team through the season, your best bet is to determine which streaming service has an agreement with your team’s regional network and go with that one. Chances are it will also stream some or all the cable networks mentioned above. A few teams can still be found on over-the-air channels — the Chicago Bulls on WGN, for example.
The good news is you can access ABC for free if you have an over-the-air TV antenna and are within the radius of your local ABC affiliate’s broadcast tower. The bad news is the network is scheduled to air only about two dozen of this year’s nationally televised games. These, however, include some of the league’s marquee matchups, including three Christmas Day games — Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, Celtics vs. 76ers, and Lakers vs. Warriors.
You can watch the remaining games with some combination of the following services.
Sling TV
The easiest way to catch many of the cable telecasts is with the Sling TV streaming service, but you’ll need to pony up for a monthly subscription. For $40 per month (currently half off for the first month), Sling’s Orange package will get you ESPN/ESPN 2 and TNT. You can also get NBA TV with the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $11 per month. With a TV antenna to catch the ABC broadcasts, you’ll have everything covered.
DirectTV Stream
You can also get ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV with DirectTV Stream. All you need is the Choice package for $114.99 per month, currently being offered for a $20-a-month discount for the first three months. You might also be able to get your favorite team’s games, as DirectTV Stream is the only service to offer a full complement of regional sports networks, including the NBC Sports regional networks, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, New England Sports Network, YES Network, and Spectrum SportsNet LA.
Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV
Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV give you access to ABC, ESPN/ESPN2, and TNT, for a flat fee, but only YouTube TV offers NBA TV, giving it the edge for hoop heads. Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 a month after a three-day trial.
YouTube TV charges $72.99 a month, discounted to $49.99 a month for the first two months. With just the one channel package for each of these services, however, you don’t get the customizability of Sling TV or DirecTV Stream, so keep that in mind if you plan to use your subscription beyond basketball season.
FuboTV
FuboTV offers ABC and ESPN in its $79.99-per-month Pro package, and you get $20 off the first month. This package also includes regional networks NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, which is great news if you’re a fan of the Kings, Warriors, Lakers, or Clippers. You can add NBA TV by purchasing the Sports Lite add-on for an additional $9.99 a month.
NBA League Pass
If you’re truly hardcore for the hardwood, you should consider a subscription to NBA League Pass, the league’s official streaming service. For $109.99 a year or $16.99 per month, you can watch every live out-of-market game that isn’t being broadcast nationally on one of the four networks we’ve mentioned.
A League Pass subscription allows you to watch every game feed (home, away, mobile view, plus additional languages and camera angles) on your TV, computer, tablet, and smartphone. Games originally broadcast on ESPN, TNT, and ABC are available three hours after completion in the video archives. You also get anytime access to a curated selection of “classic” games.
For $159.99 a year or $24.99 per month, you can upgrade to NBA League Pass Premium, which enables you to stream a game on three devices at once and watch all games commercial free. With an NBA League Pass subscription, you can stream live out-of-market games to your TV, computer, or mobile device.
NBA Team Pass
NBA League Pass is a big investment if you only want to follow your favorite team. NBA Team Pass is a less-expensive alternative. For $89.99 a year, you get access to all your squad’s local broadcasts for both home and away games.
The problem is that NBA blackout rules still apply. If you live in your team’s “home” market you still won’t be able to watch their games even with a Team Pass subscription (this goes for League Pass as well). Your team’s home market, however, isn’t necessarily defined by your town’s city limits.
How the NBA determines blackout zones:
- Using zip code — if watching via a satellite television provider.
- A combination of zip code and cable system distribution territory if watching via a cable television provider.
- By the IP address associated with your internet connection or your mobile device’s GPS coordinates.
That means this isn’t a cord-cutting option for everyone. You can see which teams are not available in your area in the blackout section when you choose your subscription.
Streaming live NBA games continues to be hit or miss for cord-cutters. The availability of national broadcasts through streaming services gives you great access for some of the biggest matchups of the season. But local fanbases who want to follow their team continue to be left out, for the most part. Until streaming options for regional sports networks become more widely available, you might need to catch your team on the radio.
I’d love to hear from the die-hard NBA fans out there. Are you seeing all the games or able to watch your favorite NBA team? Did you have to cut the cord to do that? Or maybe you’re catching the games via over the air antenna. Are you taking advantage of the regional sports networks? Let Debbie and I know what you think in the comments, DMs and emails as we really enjoy hearing from you. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
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