The 2024 NBA season is in full swing. With so many basketball games being played, figuring out how and when to watch the NBA game of your choice can take some serious detective work. This season, nationally broadcast NBA games will air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, TNT and TBS, and NBATV. But not all NBA games will be broadcast nationally, and watching out-of-market NBA games isn’t always as easy as flipping on the TV.  

We found the best sports streaming platforms to give you the most access to the most NBA games this season. 

Does every NBA game air nationally? What you need to know about watching the NBA

With 30 teams playing 82 games each, not every NBA game gets a national broadcast. Likewise, not every NBA team gets an equal number of nationally broadcast games. For the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors have the most nationally televised games with 29, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers who have 28 games televised nationally this season. The Boston Celtics have 26 games televised nationally and the Phoenix Suns follow with 25. That makes sense considering each team’s star power and strong fan base.

Each NBA team has a local affiliate which airs its games for the local market. That’s where the detective works comes in. If you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan living out of the Southern California television market, for example, you won’t be able watch the Lakers play with a cable subscription alone unless the game is nationally televised. (You can watch some local games with an HDTV antenna.)

How to watch NBA games this season without cable

You can’t watch out-of-market NBA games isn’t possible with just a cable subscription, unless the game is nationally televised.To watch teams playing out of your area, you’ll need a streaming platform or app such as NBA League Pass or Sling TV’s NBA Season Pass.

NBA League Pass: Watch out-of-market NBA games this season

If you want to catch out-of-market NBA games during the 2024 season, NBA League Pass gives you the most access to the most basketball games this season. (There are some blackout games, which you won’t be able to watch live, which we’ll explain below.)

With the NBA League Pass, you can watch out-of-market games live and on-demand, plus get round the clock NBA TV coverage.  With an upgraded NBA League Pass Premium subscription, you get everything included in the NBA League Pass, plus you’ll be able to stream live and on-demand games on up to three different devices at a time — and get access to the in-arena stream for the game of your choice.

NBA League Pass is currently priced at $15 per month. NBA League Pass Premium costs $23 per month. NBA League Pass offers a seven-day free trial.

What you need to know about watching the NBA on NBA League Pass: NBA League Pass has some blackout games, which means certain local games and all nationally broadcast games will be available three hours after the live broadcast. All subscription tiers include access to live radio broadcasts of all NBA games.

Stream national and local NBA games on Sling TV and get NBA Season Pass

If you have don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and NBATV one of the most cost-effective ways to stream NBA games this year, and still get access to local programming, is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to 46 channels, including TNT and ESPN, plus local ABC affiliates (where available) with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. But what really sets Sling TV apart is its NBA Season Pass offering, that give you special access to watch every out-of-market NBA game live.

Sling TV has a special offer for those interested in NBA Season Pass: You can prepay for three months of the basketball streaming service, plus all the channels in the Orange + Blue tier, for $135. That works out to $45 per month. (One month of Orange + Blue regularly costs $60, so this combo plan is the best value.) NBA Season Pass is available as a $15 per month a la carte offering, though you’ll pay just $10 for your first month.

You can learn more by tapping the button below.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + NBA League Pass:

• There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
• You get access to most local NBA and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
• All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage, perfect for recording all the biggest games of the season.
• With Sling TV Orange + NBA League Pass, you’ll get access to all the NBA games you want to watch (minus local blackout games), plus network programs airing on NBC, ABC, Fox and more. It’s the most cost-effective way to watch out-of-market NBA games and local network programming.

Watch the NBA live this season on Fubo

You can catch the NBA 2024 season live on FuboTV. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to local and nationally aired NBA games, not to mention almost every NFL game next season. Packages include your local ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates, TNT, ESPN, NBC, the NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just the 2024 NBA season, all without a cable subscription.

To watch the 2024 NBA season without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NBA games, offers college football, NFL, NCAA March Madness, MLB, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.

Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:

• There are no contracts with Fubo — you can cancel at any time.
• You can watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air with Fubo Lookback.
• The Pro tier includes 186 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
• Fubo includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
• All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
• Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.

Watch local and national NBA games on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch the NBA with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both TNT and ABC, so you’ll be able to catch nationally televised NBA games and your local games, while still being able to watch local network programming. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every local and nationally televised NBA game on every network this season with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch NFL games next season.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77.

What is the NBA app?

The NBA app is a terrific companion for die hard basketball fans who want to stay up to date on the latest scores. You’ll be able to download the NBA app on your phone or mobile device and get the latest news, stories and highlights of what’s happening in the league now. You can find the NBA app on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Can I watch the NBA on ESPN+?

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to watch the 2024 NBA season with the ESPN+ app. ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming.

Key dates for the 2023-2024 NBA season

Here are all the important dates for basketball fans to remember, leading up to the NBA Finals in June.

• Feb. 16-18: NBA All-Star 2024 game (Indianapolis, IN)
• Feb. 16-21: NBA All-Star break
• March 1: Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline
• March 30: NBA G League Regular Season ends
• April 2: NBA G League Playoffs begin
• April 14: NBA Regular Season ends
• April 15: NBA Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2024 (3 p.m. ET)
• April 16-19: NBA Play-In Tournament
• April 20: NBA 2024 Playoffs begin
• April 28: NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
• May 6-7: Conference Semifinals begin (may move up to May 4-5)
• May 12: NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm (Chicago, IL)
• May 13-17: NBA Combine (Chicago, IL)
• May 21-22: Conference Finals begin (may move up to May 19-20)
• June 6: NBA Finals 2024 Game 1
• June 9: NBA Finals 2024 Game 2
• June 12: NBA Finals 2024 Game 3
• June 14: NBA Finals 2024 Game 4
• June 17: NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)
• June 17: NBA Finals 2024 Game 5 (if necessary)
• June 20: NBA Finals 2024 Game 6 (if necessary)
• June 23: NBA Finals 2024 Game 7 (if necessary)
• June 26: NBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm (First Round)
• June 27: NBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm (Second Round)
• July 12-22: NBA 2K Vegas Summer League (Las Vegas)