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The 2022-23 NBA season begins on October 18.
Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images
The 2022-23 NBA season begins October 18 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.
The 2022-23 NBA regular season tips off on October 18 with a doubleheader on TNT. Both teams from last season’s NBA Finals will play on opening night, with the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Boston Celtics in the first game at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors hosting the Los Angeles Lakers for the second game at 10 p.m. ET.
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 and YouTube TV.
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 2022-23 NBA season
The 2022-23 NBA regular season begins on October 18 and runs through April 9, 2023. Here’s a rundown of key dates for the season and postseason.
October 18 — NBA regular season beginsFebruary 9 — NBA trade deadlineFebruary 17 to 19 — NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, UtahApril 11 to 14 — Play-in tournament for playoff seeding April 15 — NBA playoffs officially beganJune 1 — NBA Finals beganJune 18 — NBA Finals Game Seven, if necessaryJune 22 — 2023 NBA Draft
How to watch the NBA: Livestream games online
You can watch nationally televised NBA regular season games on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. TNT usually broadcasts games on Tuesday and Thursday nights, while ESPN games are typically scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays. ABC will show NBA games on select Saturdays and Sundays starting in December.
If you already have a pay-TV provider with access to ESPN, ABC, or TNT, you can livestream each station’s NBA content via their respective apps. That said, games on ESPN are not included with an ESPN+ subscription.
NBA TV carries select games from local NBA affiliates on a nightly basis and is available as a cable channel or as a streaming channel via NBA League Pass.
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 typically 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, which brings your total to $46 a month.
New Sling subscribers can get their first month of service for 50% off thanks to a limited-time deal, which helps make Sling one of the cheapest options for streaming the NBA.
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.
NBA League Pass lets you livestream 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 additional games, you can subscribe to NBA League Pass to stream out-of-market regular season games from the entire league.
League Pass starts at $15 a month or $99 for a full season; for that price you can stream the NBA TV channel, and stream live games every night with commercials. For $20 a month or $130 a year, you can step up to NBA League Pass Premium. This plan offers commercial-free viewing and will let you watch on two devices at once.
The price to sign up for NBA League Pass will decrease as the year goes on, but of course you’ll be missing out on games early in the season. Games for teams in your local market will be blacked out on NBA League Pass, as will national broadcasts from ESPN, TNT, and ABC.