The Best NBA Streaming Services for 2022

The 2022-23 NBA season promises another year of big shots and hard blocks. In this guide, we pick the best video streaming services for NBA fans, and cover everything you need to know about watching pro basketball.

Top Picks

Best For Combination of On-demand and Live TV Streaming

Hulu is a dependable option for streaming new and classic shows, as well as live TV on nearly every platform. It’s a top choice among video streaming services.

Excellent selection of TV series

Extensive live TV channel lineup

Robust cloud DVR option

Available on nearly every media streaming device

Base on-demand plan includes ads

Offline downloads feature requires premium account

Fewer high-quality originals than competitors

Missing most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs

Best For Cable Replacement

YouTube TV offers excellent channel variety, top-notch DVR features, and great performance. The service is a terrific choice for cord cutters who want to replicate the cable TV experience, provided you’re willing to pay its high monthly costs.

Excellent lineup of sports, news, and entertainment channels

Robust and easy-to-use DVR features

Supports three simultaneous streams per account by default

Lacks most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs

Only basic parental control options

Best For Sports Fanatics

FuboTV is a particularly good streaming service for sports fans, but its many news and entertainment channels should appeal to general audiences, too.

Tons of live sports and on-demand entertainment content

Excellent web interface

Capable DVR functionality

Some 4K content

Costly add-ons and packages

No A&E, Bally Sports, or Turner channels

Most live streams limited to 720p

Best For Channel Add-Ons

Sling TV is a reliable live TV service with a lot of channel flexibility, but it lacks some local channels. Some of its features and interfaces are not as sophisticated as competitors’, either.

Good selection of channels

Flexible subscription options

Reliable streaming performance

Movie rentals available

Prices continue to increase

Limited offering of local channels and regional sports networks

Confusing distribution of channels

Best For RSN Coverage

DirecTV Stream delivers a reliable, live TV streaming experience, with regional sports networks and improved DVR options. However, its plans are pricier than competitors’ offerings.

Reliable streaming performance in testing

Supports 20 simultaneous streams on home network

Lineup includes RSNs from AT&T, Comcast, and Sinclair

Includes parental control options

Some interface quirks

The 2022-23 NBA season begins October 18, and you can watch the matchups even if you’ve ditched your cable subscription—all you need is the right video streaming service. However, you should know what constitutes a streaming service suitable for basketball fans before making a move.

With this guide, we help you determine everything needed to stream the upcoming hoops season, from the top channels to the best service for recording games. Read on for the best NBA streaming services, followed by what you need to know to watch pro basketball online.

How to Watch the NBA Without Cable

If you don’t want to miss a minute of the on-court action, you need to find a live TV service that covers all the games in your market or subscribe to one of the NBA-owned services that let you watch your favorite out-of-market team. Unlike NFL games, not all NBA games air on national channels. Instead, most games are broadcast on regional sports networks (RSNs) that are available only to subscribers who reside in the local markets those channels cover.

Most RSNs are owned either by Sinclair (Bally Sports), Comcast (NBC Sports), or AT&T (SportsNet). A few of the SportsNet RSNs and others are affiliates of Bally Sports, while other RSNs are joint ventures between media companies and individual teams. (Don’t confuse RSNs with your local broadcast affiliate; NBC Sports Philadelphia is different from that city’s local NBC station.) Some games do air on national channels, such as ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV, but you likely won’t be able to watch your local team on these channels because of blackout restrictions.

In other words, a game that airs on NBA TV for most people will be shown only on the RSN that covers each team in their respective local markets. That’s why it’s important to know which RSN owns broadcast rights for your local team. At the time of publishing, Bally Sports RSNs cover 16 NBA teams, NBC Sports RSNs feature six NBA teams, and AT&T’s SportsNet RSNs handle local broadcasts for three NBA teams. The rest are managed by other media companies solely or in partnership with other media organizations or individual teams.

Currently, DirecTV Stream is the only service we tested that includes Bally Sports, NBC Sports (though it is missing a few of these), and SportsNet RSNs. FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV no longer have any Bally Sports RSNs. Again, the RSN you need depends on your location, so don’t immediately discount a service that lacks a particular set of RSNs. For more information, check out this list of regional NBA broadcasters or search for a specific team on The Streamable.

What Is NBA League Pass?

The NBA offers several subscription options: League Pass Audio ($9.99 annually), NBA TV ($59.99 annually), Team Pass ($119.99 annually), League Pass ($199.99 annually), and League Pass Premium ($249.99 annually). You need to choose one of these plans to watch (or listen to) out-of-market games.

The NBA League Pass Audio option lets you listen to every game without worrying about blackouts. The NBA TV option gives you access to live, out-of-market games that air on NBA TV. With this plan, you can also stream NBA TV studio shows.

The Team Pass plan lets you watch live, out-of-market games for one team. The League Pass plan lets you watch hundreds of out-of-market games from around the league, while the League Pass Premium tier gives you the same perks without commercials. Only the League Pass Premium tier lets you stream on two devices simultaneously.

Note that none of the League Pass subscriptions lets you watch any nationally broadcast games live (those that air on ABC, ESPN, TNT, or NBA TV). Replays of those games are available three hours after the broadcast concludes. In-market games subject to local blackouts (those that air on your local RSN) are available to watch three days after the live broadcast ends.

What Is the Best NBA Streaming Service?

What else do NBA fans need to know? First, you should compare the technical specifications of these streaming services before deciding which is best. For example, if you want to record and re-watch games regularly, check out a service’s DVR storage limits. If there are a lot of people in your home who all want to watch TV at the same time, you need a service that supports many concurrent streams. Verify that whatever service you pick supports all the media streaming devices you own, too.

One last consideration is the streaming resolution that the services support. FuboTV and YouTube TV (via an add-on) both technically support 4K live streams, but neither appears to be set to broadcast any NBA games at this resolution. That could very well change, however. Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV support 1080p/60fps streams on select channels and devices, while DirectTV Stream, FuboTV (for non-4K broadcasts), and Sling TV top out at around 720p resolution. Higher-resolution streams produce crisper images, while faster refresh rates help smooth out fast action.

How to Watch the NBA on Cable and Over the Air

Another way to ensure that you can watch all the regular-season NBA games in your area is to sign up for a cable plan with a premium sports package that includes all the local RSNs. A cable plan is typically more expensive than live-streaming alternatives, but it’s great for people who want to get the broadest possible variety of cable TV networks for one price. Note that if you have a digital antenna, you can watch some of the games on ABC, assuming they aren’t airing on your local RSN.

More into college basketball? Here’s how to watch March Madness online. If you want to watch sports other than the NBA, check out our roundup of the best sports streaming services. We also have roundups of the best MLB streaming services and NHL streaming services.

Sling Orange vs. Sling Blue: Which Video Streaming Plan Is Better?

Do you know the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue? Read our guide to find out whether either video streaming plan is worth a subscription.

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Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plans undercut most other video streaming services, but there are some notable variations and limitations in their respective channel lineups. Our comparison details exactly what they offer. However, you may find that neither one covers all your needs, in which case you should consider paying for the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan or subscribing to a different service altogether. We suggest alternate video streaming options in several sections.

What Are Sling Orange and Sling Blue?

Sling TV offers two tiers: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. You get different channels with each plan, but their offerings don’t neatly fit into any one category. In other words, Sling Orange doesn’t target sports fans and Sling Blue is not tailor-made for entertainment aficionados. In fact, you need to go channel by channel to determine whether either plan suits your live TV needs. If neither has all the channels you watch—a likely case for some audiences—you can also subscribe to the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan, which gives you every channel from both plans.

The Orange and Blue plan are each $30 per month and the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan costs $45 per month. You can purchase Extras and Premium channels for an additional monthly fee with any plan, but those add-ons can drive up costs considerably. If you discover that you need to get several add-ons in order to watch everything you want, you should consider other live TV options, such as Editors’ Choices YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. Though they cost more than Orange & Blue, both of those services include more channels, better interfaces, and value-adding features (Hulu’s on-demand library and YouTube TV’s 1080p content streams).

Don’t confuse Sling TV with a Slingbox. Sling TV is an internet-based live TV streaming service that does not require any additional hardware. A Slingbox is a hardware device manufactured by Sling Media that works in tandem with your existing cable box or satellite system to stream live and recorded TV to other devices via the Slingplayer apps. Sling TV and Sling Media are distinct subsidiaries of Dish Network Corporation.

Channel Lineups

When evaluating Sling Orange and Sling Blue’s respective news, entertainment, and sports content, a common theme of fragmentation emerges. You may also find deal-breaking coverage gaps, since Sling TV is missing some channels entirely. For example, the service does not offer local CBS affiliates and restricts NBC and Fox affiliates to the Blue or combined plan. You can set up an indoor antenna to get these channels in some locations, but doing so defeats the purpose of subscribing to a live TV streaming service in the first place.

Starting with news content, both Sling Orange and Sling Blue offer BBC America, Bloomberg Television, Cheddar Business, Cheddar News, CNN, Newsy, and Local Now. Sling’s Blue plan has an advantage in that it offers NBC and Fox affiliate channels, Fox News, and MSNBC. This lineup is fairly consistent with competitors’, but other live TV services offer additional channels such as BBC World News and CNBC without the need for add-ons.

In terms of entertainment, both plans include A&E, Adult Swim, AMC, AXS TV, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Comet, Epix Drive-In, Food Network, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, and Viceland. Sling Blue provides entertainment channels that the Orange plan does not, including BET, Bravo, Discovery, E!, FX, FXX, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Nick Jr, Paramount Network, SYFY, TLC, truTV, and USA. Sling Orange does have a few exclusive channels though, such as Disney Channel, Freeform, and MotorTrend. If you only care about entertainment content, consider the entertainment-focused Philo instead. It includes many of the same channels listed here, but it’s only $20 per month.

Streaming sports with either of Sling TV’s separate Orange and Blue plans is not ideal, given its messy channel split; the two plans only share the Stadium channel. Sling Orange’s only advantage for sports fans is that it includes ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN 3, whereas the Blue plan does not include any ESPN content. Sling Blue, on the other hand, gets you the NFL Network and NBCSN. As noted, Sling also lacks CBS and broadcast affiliates, which affects NFL fans. Our roundup of the best NFL streaming services includes better options. FuboTV is a good service for avid sports fans, though it lacks ESPN channels.

Extras and Premium Channels

Subscribers can add Extras (packages of additional channels) to both the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans, as well as the combined plan. The Extras have the same names and prices whether you start with the Orange or Blue plan, but the channels included in the packages differ. Some differences exist because Sling’s Blue plan already includes some of the component channels, but others seem arbitrary.

The Sports Extra package ($10 per month) adds beIN Sports, MLB Network, MLB Network Strikezone, NBA TV, NHL Network, Outside TV, Pac-12, and Tennis Channel to Orange and Blue plans. In addition, Orange Plan subscribers get ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Goal Line, ESPNews, ESPNU, Longhorn Network, SEC Network, and SEC Network+. Sling Blue users gain NFL RedZone, Golf Channel, and the Olympic Channel.

The Comedy Extra ($5 per month) adds CMT, GSN, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Revolt, and TV Land to both plans. Sling Orange subscribers accrue truTV and Paramount Network with this package. The Kids add-on ($5 per month) gives subscribers of both plans access to BabyTV, Boomerang, Duck TV, TeenNick, and NickToons, while Orange plan users also get Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Nick Jr.

The News add-on ($5 per month) includes BBC World News, CGTN, Euronews, HLN, Law & Crime, News18, NewsMax, RT America, Science Channel, TheBlaze, and Weather Nation for users of either plan. Sling Orange subscribers also get Fusion, while Sling Blue customers get CNBC, Fox Business, France 24, and NDTV 24×7. The LifeStyle package ($5 per month) adds Cooking Channel, DIY, FYI, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Lifetime Movies, VH1, WE TV, and Z Living HD to both plans. Orange Plan users get BET, while the Blue plan subscribers gain Oxygen.

Hollywood Extra ($5 per month) includes Cinemoi, HDNet Movies, Reelz, Sundance TV, TCM, and The Film Detective. Blue Plan users also get FXX, and FX Movies. The Heartland package ($5 per month) features American Heroes Channel, Cowboy Channel, Destination America, Outdoor Channel, PixL, Ride TV, RFD-TV, Sportsman Channel, and World Fishing Network for both Orange and Blue subscribers. The Blue plan also gets Nat Geo Wild.

In addition to Extras, you can add Premium Channels to any plan. The most popular channels available are Showtime ($10 per month), Starz ($9 per month), and Epix ($5 per month). More than 20 other Premium channels are also available, ranging in price from $3 to $8 per month. Some of the more eclectic channels include Comedy Dynamics, Docurama, Dog TV, Grokker, Hopster, Lion Mountain TV, Monsters and Nightmares, Pantaya, and Stingray Qello.

Features and Platforms

While Sling Orange allows you to stream on a single device at a time, Sling Blue bumps that limit up to three streams. If you opt for the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan, the streaming limit increases to four simultaneous devices. For comparison, YouTube TV lets you stream on up to three devices simultaneously, but AT&T TV Now limits you to just two devices by default.

Sling TV now lets users record up to 10 hours of content to DVR storage. If you need extra space, you can pay an extra $5 per month to upgrade your storage limit to 50 hours. You can watch recordings for however long you maintain a subscription. Sling’s free DVR option is less impressive than competitors’. For comparison, YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR storage and keeps recordings for nine months.

You can get Sling on media streaming devices, such as Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast; Android and iOS devices; via the Windows Store and Chrome; and on the Xbox One. Sling TV does not support the PlayStation 4. Note that Sling does include parental control features though, which is rare for a live TV service.

Flexible, But Fractured

Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plan are cheaper than full-featured live TV alternatives, but you need to dig pretty deep into the details to determine whether either is worth its $30-per-month price. Unfortunately, even once you do, the answer still may not be clear, as the two plans don’t neatly divide channels based on interests. These plans are good for users who don’t need or want a complete replacement for their cable service, but those who do might find these plans underwhelming. The more expensive, combined Orange & Blue plan offers more coverage, but better options exist at that price point, such as our Editors’ Choice picks for the live TV category, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.

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