How to Watch NBA Playoffs Online Without Cable
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The 2022 NBA Playoffs are in full swing. Basketball fans have plenty of games to keep them on the edge of their seats until the Finals in June, with the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors winning the first rounds of their respective conferences.
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With Game 6 now underway, keep reading to find out how to watch the NBA Playoffs with and without cable.
How to Watch the 2022 NBA Playoffs on Cable
The 2022 NBA Playoff games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and TNT in the U.S. and on TSN in Canada. You can watch those channels online on their respective websites by logging in with your cable TV provider account.
How to Watch the 2022 NBA Playoffs Online Without Cable
The NBA live-streams on ABC through ESPN3 simulcasts and on ESPN, TCN and TNT. You can watch the NBA Playoffs and Finals on any live TV streaming service that offers those channels — see below to find out where to watch NBA games online without a cable subscription, as well as how to catch up on games if you’re outside of the U.S.
DirecTV Stream
Price: $70 and up monthly
NBA Channels: ABC, ESPN, TNT
Watch ABC, ESPN, TNT and other channels on DirecTV Stream, which says it offers more regional sports networks and live local sports than other streaming TV services. The Entertainment package ($70 monthly) offers more than 65 other channels, while other plans offer 90 to 140 channels for $84 to $140 per month. New subscribers will get $30 off their first three months when they sign up by April 30.
DirecTV Stream Subscription
$70 and up monthly
Express VPN
Price $13 per month, $10 monthly for a six-month plan or $6.67 per month with a 12-month plan (three extra months free)
Some streaming TV and video-on-demand (SVOD) services limit access to content depending on your location. If you want to watch NBA games while you’re traveling out of the country, a virtual private network (VPN) lets you access your streaming accounts by logging in legally and securely to servers outside of the U.S. ExpressVPN lets you log into its high-speed servers across 94 countries while keeping your personal data secure and private. Learn more here.
ExpressVPN
$7 to $13 monthly
FuboTV
Price: $70 and up monthly
NBA Channels: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
Watch live NBA games on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and other sports channels with a subscription to FuboTV, which starts at $65 per month and includes access to more than 100 other news, entertainment and sports channels. Add the Sports Plus with NFL RedZone channel ($11 monthly) to get access to more content (including NBA, NCAA, NFL and MLB games). You can record TV shows, movies, games and more, and watch on your smartphone, tablet or TV. The online TV streaming service offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, so you can technically watch NBA games online for free for a week.
FuboTV Subscription
$70 and up monthly
Hulu with Live TV
Price: $70 and up monthly
Channels: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT; plus Disney+ and ESPN+
Watch ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT and more than 75 other major cable news, entertainment and sports channels on-demand with a Hulu with Live TV subscription, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+ and costs $70 per month for the ad-supported option and $76 monthly for the ad-free package. The Hulu with Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle also lets you watch thousands of popular TV shows, movies and original content, and you can add Cinemax, HBO Max, Showtime, Starz and other channels for an extra monthly fee.
Hulu with Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN+ Subscription
$70 and up monthly
Sling
Price: $35 monthly for the Orange Plan, $50 monthly for the Orange & Blue plan
NBA Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, NBA TV, TNT
Live TV streaming platform Sling‘s Orange plan ($35 monthly) lets you watch every NBA Playoff game online on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, NBA TV and TNT; you can also get more channels with the streamer’s Orange & Blue plan ($50 per month).
Both plans also come with other news, entertainment and sports channels, such as A&E, AMC, CNN, Food Network, Freeform, HGTV, History, Lifetime and others. You can customize your Sling TV subscription and add the Sports Extra mini-channel for an extra $11 per month. Plus, new subscribers get their first month for 50 percent off for a limited time.
Note that you’ll need to connect an HD antenna and an AirTV device if you want to watch local channels with your Sling service; get more details here.
Sling TV Subscription
$35 and up monthly
YouTube TV
Price: $65 per month; limited-time rate of $15 for your first month
NBA Channels: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT
For $65 per month, YouTube’s live TV streaming subscription includes ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT for basketball fans. Sports lovers can get 18 more channels (including NFL RedZone, Outside TV, Fox Soccer Plus and PokerGo+) with the YouTube TV Sports Plus add-on for an extra $11 monthly.
YouTube TV Subscription
$65 and up monthly
2022 NBA Playoffs: Game Dates, Times, Schedule
The 2022 NBA Playoffs are from April 16 through May. The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin June 2 and will run through June 19. See the full 2022 NBA schedule here and the NBA Playoffs bracket here.
Thursday, April 28
Teams Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors
Time 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET
Channel NBC, TSN
Teams Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Time 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET
Channel TNT
Teams Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz
Time 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET
Channel TNT
Friday, April 29
Teams Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Time 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET
Channel ESPN
Saturday, April 30
Teams Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Time TBD
Channel TBD
Teams New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns
Time TBD
Channel TBD
Sunday, May 1
Teams Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Time 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
Channel ABC
Teams Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Time 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET
Channel ABC
Monday, May 2
Teams Miami Heat vs. TBD
Time TBD
Channel TBD
Tuesday, May 3
Teams Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Time TBD
Channel TBD
Where to Buy 2022 NBA Tickets Online
Tickets for the 2022 NBA Playoffs are still available to fans who want to catch the action live. Online ticketing and resale platforms including NBATickets.com, SeatGeek, StubHub, Ticketmaster and VividSeats offer tickets starting at $20 depending on the game.
