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How to watch NBA basketball from anywhere for free

Briley Kenney
By

What’s so great about this new era of digital content and livestreaming opportunities is that you can watch from virtually anywhere. Yes, you can sit down in your living room and watch on your main TV, but also, if you’re out running errands, you could watch from your phone or tablet, or if you’re away on a business trip, you can even start watching on your laptop. Being able to stream content online, whether live or recorded, completely changes the entertainment game. It has also transformed the wide world of sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts, soccer, and basketball. For example, it’s possible to watch NCAA basketball anywhere from online, or watch the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup online, as well, sometimes even for free. So, most assuredly, it’s possible to watch an NBA live stream online for select games.

When you want to watch NBA basketball, from anywhere in the world, online, you have a few different options. It really depends on where the game is being broadcast live, as certain networks own the rights to various games, and offer livestreams exclusively through proprietary or partner services. The EFL Cup in soccer is only available through ESPN+ in the United States, for instance. NBA games are sometimes broadcast on TNT, NBA TV, NBA League Pass, ESPN, ABC, and a bevy of other cable channels, with just as much variety when it comes to watching those events online. If you’re looking to catch the latest NBA games, don’t fret, it may seem complicated but we’re going to break it all down for you. Keep reading to see the best places to watch NBA games online, from anywhere in the world.

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The best way to watch NBA basketball

Watch NBA Basketball on Sling TV

Sling TV app icon on Apple TV.
Digital Trends

As most NBA games are broadcast live on networks like TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ESPN3, and ABC, you’ll be able to watch NBA live stream content through Sling TV. In fact, you have a couple of options, one more affordable and the other more comprehensive. Starting at $15 per month, you can subscribe to Sling TV’s NBA League Pass package, which allows you to access and watch every national game, and every out-of-market game, with a few blackout restrictions. You’ll also get 31 channels including NBA TV, and individual team channels. The other option, and more comprehensive solution, is Sling Orange at $40 per month, discounted to $20 for your first month for new subscribers. With Orange, you get access to 31 live cable TV channels like ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, HGTV, and many many more. It expands your potential entertainment outside of NBA basketball, including to other live sports. While there is no Sling TV free trial, you can sign up to access the free service, but content is limited.

Other ways to watch NBA basketball

Watch NBA Basketball on FuboTV

FuboTV app icon on Apple TV.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

Our top recommendation for watching NBA basketball anywhere online, and most other sports, is FuboTV. Once you subscribe, you’ll have access to a huge selection of cable TV channels, not just sports or NBA-focused ones. Plus, you can watch from any compatible device, online, anywhere, including your mobile, tablet, smart TVs, and much more. We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. Because there is a FuboTV free trial, new subscribers can sign up, for free, and watch for an entire month. That’s right, you get a whole month free, including to watch live sports like NBA basketball games. It doesn’t get any better than that folks.

Watch NBA Basketball on Sling TV

Sling TV app icon on Apple TV.
Digital Trends

As most NBA games are broadcast live on networks like TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ESPN3, and ABC, you’ll be able to watch NBA live stream content through Sling TV. In fact, you have a couple of options, one more affordable and the other more comprehensive. Starting at $15 per month, you can subscribe to Sling TV’s NBA League Pass package, which allows you to access and watch every national game, and every out-of-market game, with a few blackout restrictions. You’ll also get 31 channels including NBA TV, and individual team channels. The other option, and more comprehensive solution, is Sling Orange at $40 per month, discounted to $20 for your first month for new subscribers. With Orange, you get access to 31 live cable TV channels like ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, HGTV, and many many more. It expands your potential entertainment outside of NBA basketball, including to other live sports. While there is no Sling TV free trial, you can sign up to access the free service, but content is limited.

Watch NBA Basketball on Hulu with Live TV

The live guide on Hulu With Live TV.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

Hulu’s version of live streaming TV is aptly named Hulu with Live TV. While it is slightly different than the standard Hulu, and Hulu does have a free trial, the live service arm does not. The good news is that you can watch live sports, including NBA basketball games on Hulu with Live TV, plus you get access to over 85 live cable channels including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, TNT, and beyond. The Hulu with Live TV plan is $70 per month, allowing up to two simultaneous streams at once, from any device. There is an unlimited screens option that you can add-on if you need to stream from more devices than that all at once.

Watch NBA Basketball on YouTube with Live TV

YouTube TV clock.
YouTube TV

Similar to some of the other services, YouTube TV, or YouTube with Live TV, allows you to watch live cable channels online, from anywhere. Because it provides access to channels that broadcast NBA basketball games, you can also use it to watch NBA live stream content. With a subscription, you can access over 100 channels, including FOX, ESPN, CNN, TNT, ABC. You can also add-on channels like the NBA League Pass to make sure you never miss any games due to blackout restrictions. YouTube TV starts at $65 per month for over 100 channels, including NFL and NBA networks, with unlimited DVR space to record live broadcasts if you can’t be there to watch. The base plan is available for $55 for your first three months for new subscribers, which is a discount of $10.

Watch NBA Basketball From Abroad with a VPN

NordVPN company name and logo, blue mountain peaks against a white circle on a blue background.
NordVPN

Traveling abroad, away from your home country? You may run into a snag when trying to watch NBA basketball online. Some services, like FuboTV, ESPN, and Sling TV, region-lock access based on your current IP address. Since your IP is assigned when you connect to the internet, generally from where you’re located, you might find yourself unable to watch your favorite team tear up the court. There is a workaround, and it’s both easy to setup, and free if you’re a new subscriber.

Related

To watch NBA basketball abroad, you’ll need a VPN or virtual private network. Our top recommend for exactly this is NordVPN, which will assign you an IP in the country of your choosing, in this case the United States, allowing you to mask your current IP. The best part is that there is a NordVPN free trial you can use, for up to a month totally free. With access, you’ll be better protected, as the masked IP helps protect your anonymity and privacy while browsing online, and you’ll be able to watch services that would otherwise be restricted like FuboTV. That way, you can watch NBA live stream content from anywhere in the world.

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Briley Kenney
Briley Kenney
Senior SEO Copywriter
Briley has been writing about consumer electronics and technology for over a decade. When he's not writing about deals for…
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