How to watch the NBA – the 2021-22 season starts October 19 with the defending champion Bucks taking on the Nets
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Giannis Antetokounmpo goes to the basket as Chris Paul looks on in game 2 of the NBA Finals.
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- The 2021-22 NBA season begins October 19 with a doubleheader on TNT.
- NBA regular season games are broadcast by ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBA TV, and local affiliate stations.
- NBA League Pass also offers streaming access to hundreds of games for an annual or monthly fee.
Table of Contents: Masthead StickyTV (small)League Pass (small)
The 2021-22 NBA regular season tips off on October 19 with a doubleheader on TNT. The first game features the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks against the Brooklyn Nets, while the second match features the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers. The games start at 7:30 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, respectively.
You can stream the opening games with the TNT app if you’re a cable subscriber, otherwise you’ll need a live TV streaming service like Sling TV, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV to watch.
Throughout the regular season, nationally televised NBA games are spread across TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV. Meanwhile, some teams have local affiliates that broadcast their regular season games.
To help you get access to every game you want to watch, we broke down everything you need to know about streaming the NBA season without a cable subscription.
Key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season
The 2021-22 NBA regular season begins on October 19 and runs through April 10, 2022. Here’s a rundown of key dates for the season and post-season.
- October 19 – NBA regular season begins
- February 18 to 20 – NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio
- April 12 to 15 – Play-in tournament for playoff seeding
- April 16 – NBA playoffs officially began
- June 2 – NBA Finals began
- July 19 – NBA Finals Game Seven, if necessary
- June 23 – NBA Draft
How to watch the 2021-22 NBA season
NBA regular season games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. TNT usually broadcasts games on Tuesday and Thursday nights, while ESPN games are typically scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. ABC will show NBA games on select Saturdays and Sundays starting in December.
NBA TV carries games from local NBA affiliates on a nightly basis and is available as a cable network or a standalone streaming subscription. You can subscribe to NBA TV for the season for $60, or pay $7 a month.
If you already have a pay-TV provider with access to ESPN, ABC, or TNT, you can stream each station’s NBA content via their respective apps. That said, ESPN games are not included with an ESPN+ subscription.
If you don’t have a cable or satellite subscription, you can sign up for a live TV streaming service with access to TNT, ABC, ESPN, and NBA TV. Services with plans that support NBA games from all four channels include Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Sling TV
Sling TV includes ESPN and TNT as part of its Orange plan for $35 a month. Sling doesn’t offer ABC, but NBA games airing on that network are occasionally simulcast on ESPN3, which is included with Sling. You can also add NBA TV to your plan through the Sports Extra package for an additional $11 a month.
New Sling subscribers can get their first month of service for a discounted rate of just $10, which helps make Sling one of the cheapest options for streaming the NBA.
TV (small)YouTube TV
YouTubeTV offers ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV for $65 a month, providing full access to all of the major broadcast and cable networks that show NBA games. For a limited time, new subscribers can get their first three months for a discounted rate of $55 a month.
TV (small)Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV features access to channels like ESPN, TNT, and ABC for $65 a month. However, NBA TV is not offered which could be an issue for viewers who want to watch as many games as possible during the regular season.
On the plus side, Hulu + Live TV does include access to Hulu’s entire on-demand library of shows and movies. If you sign up before October 29, you can get your first three months for a discounted rate of $55 a month.
+ Live TV (small)Fubo TV
Fubo TV includes ABC and ESPN under its Starter plan for $65 a month, but you need the Sports Plus add-on for an extra $11 a month to get NBA TV. On the downside, TNT is not currently available through any of Fubo TV’s plans, which presents a major issue for fans who want to watch nationally televised games on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
TV (small)NBA League Pass lets you stream out of market games
TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV are the national broadcast partners of the NBA, but they only show select games throughout the season. If you’re interested in following a team that’s not in your area, you can subscribe to NBA League Pass to stream out of market regular season games for a single team or the entire league.
League Pass offers subscriptions for one team starting at $18 a month or $120 for a full season. If you want access to every team on League Pass, you’ll have to pay $250 for the season or $40 a month. The price of League Pass will decrease as the year goes on, but of course you’ll be missing out on games early in the season.
Blackout restrictions apply, and League Pass does not include live access to nationally televised games or your local teams.
League Pass (small)Read the original article on Business Insider