With the arrival of new broadcasting contracts in 2025, NBA fans now have an even greater variety of ways to watch their favorite teams. The league’s recently signed deals have pushed games across prominent platforms like ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video, setting aside TNT after many years. Along with these national broadcast changes, live streaming options like NBA League Pass, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV give basketball viewers multiple routes to access national games, local matchups, and coverage of teams from far-off regions. The decision of where to watch now often comes down to a mix of cost, reliability, blackout restrictions, and how flexible the viewing setup is. Streaming platforms are all about convenience and watching on demand, while cable’s strength still lies with dependable live broadcasting.
Where to Watch NBA Games in 2025
Everyone interested in the 2025-26 NBA season will notice games appearing on different channels, just about every day of the week. For example, games will air on national TV Sunday through Saturday, but each day rotates graphics: Sundays will split between ABC, ESPN’s app, NBC, and Peacock; Mondays will be exclusive to Peacock; and Thursdays will be shown on Amazon Prime Video. In all, sports networks will broadcast roughly 100 games on NBC/Peacock, around 80 on Disney networks (that’s ABC and ESPN), and over 60 games exclusively on Amazon Prime. The NBA Playoffs will be divided in a similar fashion, but ABC has the singular right to show the NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, big services like NBA League Pass continue to serve fans who want to follow teams that aren’t covered locally. League Pass begins at about $17 a month or $110 a season, and most plans throw in NBA TV to deliver nonstop coverage, highlight shows, and memorable classic games. For those who follow multiple sports or catch matches worldwide, sites like NBA直播 can help keep basketball and football matchups organized and easy to follow.
Exploring NBA Cable Packages
Cable TV providers have long been a straightforward way to catch NBA action, especially for those wanting more traditional reliability. The most popular cable packages—often running $80 to $120 per month—normally include channels like ABC, ESPN, and NBC. DirecTV’s popular “Choice” tier costs around $100 a month and includes NBA TV, offering customers over 125 channels plus regional sports networks for local access.
If you go with Comcast Xfinity or Spectrum, expect some sports bundles in the $90-$110 range. These include DVR features that let you rewatch games anytime and don’t restrict local fans from major games due to blackouts. Customers can also tack NBA League Pass onto their subscription to see teams outside their regular zone—a great way to watch more than 40 live games a week.
Cable is ideal for homes with multiple TVs, needs little bandwidth, and doesn’t depend on how strong your internet connection is. Still, traditional plans sometimes require lengthy contracts and extra fees for boxes or equipment, bumping the cost up by an extra $10 to $20 each month.
Comparing Streaming NBA Services
For NBA viewers who’d rather not mess with cable commitments, streaming has become a top choice in recent years. Major services simplify the channel lineup while cutting contract strings. YouTube TV, for instance, offers the essentials (like ABC, ESPN, and NBC) for $80 per month and lets you record unlimited programming on cloud DVR. Hulu + Live TV runs close—about $83 each month—and adds plenty of on-demand options. Fans who want more sports, and the power to stream in 4K, often turn to FuboTV, starting at $75 a month.
Certain platforms have carved out unique slices of the season. Peacock is vital if you want Monday and Tuesday night exclusives ($12 monthly), and you’ll need Amazon Prime Video for those sought-after Thursday and Friday clashes—either as part of an Amazon Prime subscription or paying $9/month separately. NBA League Pass itself is a great bonus, giving access to out-of-market games and supporting devices from smart TVs and laptops to phones. For fans wanting to ditch ads or use up to two screens, the premium choices go higher. ESPN Plus can be bundled for more commentary and news shows rather than live games. But to get all regular season and playoff coverage, most viewers now juggle three to four separate subscriptions, spending between $800 and $1,000 every season.
How Do Costs Stack Up: Cable vs Streaming?
When comparing expenses, cable’s combination of sports channels for eight months sits between $720 and $960. Include postseason and premium fees, and you can pay over $1,200 a year. Meanwhile, streaming with a solid, sports-heavy package like YouTube TV comes out at about $640 per season, plus additional NBC games for $88 on Peacock and another $72 for Amazon Prime Video. Cable sometimes has combined packages that slightly drop your cost, especially when adding home internet or phone.
Streaming may dodge installation charges, but the total cost can creep up as providers increase price every year. Altogether, the out-of-pocket cost over one full season coincides for both streaming and cable, but streamers are more likely to catch special discount deals, coupons, or even monthly trials.
Why Choose One Over the Other?
Benefits of Cable TV:
- Cabling provides solid, consistent viewing with very few technical glitches—ideal for those championship moments in 4K.
- All regional and national channels come bundled in, skipping blackout worries and tedious search.
- Cable is sometimes more affordable when bundled with internet or phone service and generally has helpful search or voice commands built-in.
Downsides of Cable TV:
- Annoying hidden fees related to boxes or lengthy fixed contracts are common.
- Cable watching mostly stays inside the house—there’s limited flexibility joining a game on your commute or traveling.
Benefits of Streaming:
- Takes flexibility to another level—allows pausing, rewinding, and setting up notifications and works on nearly any device with no long-term commitment needed.
- Providers often give free trial periods for new users.
- Features like “multi-view” let you watch several NBA games at once.
Downsides of Streaming:
- Some games are inaccessible in your local market, particularly on NBA League Pass due to national blackouts.
- Needs strong internet (about 25 Mbps at a minimum), or you’ll experience buffering and delays for fast-paced plays.
- Because the schedule is split up, it can take a few different logins and subscriptions to watch the whole season.
Performance & User Comfort
When assuming leaning back for a big playoff game, cable’s ongoing dependability remains tough to top: the video never lags or buffers, and 4K feeds auto-adjust where available. Streaming can get you a similar experience, including up to 4K resolution on platforms like Fubo and Peacock; however, it’s more likely you’ll face interruptions on extra busy event nights unless you have a reliable internet connection. Many find YouTube TV user-friendly, with superior guides for games, whereas legacy apps, like DirecTV’s, aren’t quite as intuitive.
By 2025, close to 60% of NBA fans will likely choose to stream, though cable keeps a loyal base—mainly in areas with weaker internet service.
So Which Should You Choose?
If your top priorities are avoiding tech issues, getting every local game, or watching with your family on home TVs, cable is still your safest pick—it’s simple, complete, and usually combines everything in one bill. Stream if you want to save some money, enjoy caring about future flexibility or have a lifestyle on the go. In truth, many viewers now go for a hybrid strategy—using cable or one central streaming provider and adding single services like Peacock or NBA League Pass when something important comes on. International basketball fans and followers of rare schedules will benefit most by using curated sports listings to keep everything straight.
At the end of the day, streaming slowly edges past cable for modern NBA followers, offering more flexibility and greater control, despite some hassles with managing subscriptions and channels. In 2025, how—and where—you choose to follow the NBA really comes down to personal preference and what features suit how you want to watch basketball.










