The 2021-2022 NBA season is officially underway, with 30 teams facing off on the court for a chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy and be declared the 2022 NBA Champions.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to repeat as NBA Champs after capturing the title last year, while the Phoenix Suns are out to prove that their run to the post-season was no fluke, after blowing a 2-0 lead to the Bucks in the finals.
Vegas oddsmakers currently have the Bucks and Suns as top contenders for the 2022 NBA title, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets (minus Kyrie?) and Golden State Warriors among the odds-on favorites as well.
How to Watch the NBA on TV
The 2021-22 NBA season will be broadcast on television and available to stream online. If you want to watch the NBA on TV, the NBA’s nationally-televised games are airing on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. A cable package like this one from Verizon Fios will get you access to most of the games; you can also add-on NBA League Pass for up to 40 out-of-market NBA games on TV each week.
If you are looking for the cheapest way to watch the NBA on TV, consider picking up an HDTV antenna from Amazon. This one comes in a sleek, slim unit and gets you a signal range of 200 miles. That means it can pick up the NBA on ABC, in up to 4K quality. You’ll also get all the major broadcast networks like CBS, NBC, FOX and The CW through the antenna for free.
How to Stream the NBA Online Free
If you don’t have cable, you can also watch the NBA online through one of these online streaming and live TV services. All of them are offering free trials right now, so you can use them to watch NBA games online free.
1. Watch the NBA on Sling
We’ve had a subscription to Sling TV for years now, and it’s one of the best values for live sports and entertainment online. The $35 Sling Orange plan gets you access to ESPN, ESPN3 and TNT for basketball coverage, plus channels like CNN, HGTV, AMC and more. Add the Sports Extra package to the Sling Orange base, and get access to NBA TV.
Sling offers a 3-day free trial, so you can check out the service and start streaming the NBA online free. If you like it, the latest Sling deal gets you a month of Sling for just $10, saving you more than $25 off the regular price. Or get Sling Orange + Sports Extra for just $21.
2. Watch the NBA on Vidgo
Vidgo may not be one of the big names in the live streaming market, but they’re one of the best. Their $40 “core” subscription plan includes 60+ channels, including ABC to let you watch NBA games online. Sports fans love Vidgo, as the package also gets you all the ESPN channels, the NFL Network, FS1 and more. Watch on up to three devices at a time.
3. fuboTV
The best place to stream basketball online is through fuboTV. Fubo is the only streaming service to offer ESPN and NBA TV as part of its standard package. Fubo also recently announced plans to add ABC to its channel lineup (though access may vary by region). In addition to its NBA coverage, fuboTV gets you almost 100 channels of live TV, and its $64.99 family plan includes FS1, NFL Network, Golf Channel, Pac 12 Network, CBS Sports and more.
Fubo lets you watch content on your phone, tablet or TV, and the family plan lets you watch live TV on three screens at once. A monthly subscription also includes 250 hours of cloud DVR recording — great for when you want to record the game to replay later.
Fubo is offering a 7-day free trial right now.
4. Hulu + Live TV
If you want sports and entertainment, you best bet is to sign up with Hulu + Live TV. For just $64.99/month, you can stream basketball live online through ESPN, TNT and ABC (in most markets).
Your subscription also gets you unlimited streaming of Hulu’s TV shows, movies and originals, including The Great, Little Fires Everywhere and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Hulu + Live TV is basically your one-stop-shop for content. Stream a new movie or binge your favorite show, then switch over to the Live TV platform to watch a game in real-time.
