6 Ways To Watch The NBA Finals Without A Cable Subscription
So, it's settled: the Miami Heat meets the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals. Ultimately, only one team can be crowned champion, and there are plenty of ways to witness the coronation process live. Game 1 tips off June 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET, with ABC exclusively airing all the best-of-seven court action. That means you can catch the games on cable or even regular old over-the-air TV if you have something like a digital antenna, but you also have several options for streaming the NBA Finals live online, and we'll share those with you ahead.
Even the most knowledgeable basketball purists couldn't predict the wild path to 2023's NBA Finals. It began with the 8th-seed Miami Heat blitzing the fastest-ever tournament qualifiers Milwaukee Bucks in a 4-1 series. Miami then qualified for the NBA Finals and prevented a historic 0-3 series comeback by beating the Boston Celtics in the deciding Game 7.
Then, the Denver Nuggets swept the Lebron James-led Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals and looks like the strong favorite to win its first-ever title. The Lebron memes have been utterly brutal, but King James deserves tremendous respect. He valiantly led his team through a grueling play-in schedule to barely eke into the dance as the 8th seed, bringing his squad one series away from competing for the ultimate prize. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were simply too much.
Wondering when, where, and how you can watch the NBA Finals without cable? Read on for the best streaming options.
ESPN+ App
Want to watch all NBA Finals games for $10? Luckily, you'll be able to watch every single game through ESPN+, available for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year thanks to a series of price hikes over the years. You can also bundle it with ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu access for $12.99 monthly.
Whichever route you choose, this figures to be the most cost-effective route to watching the NBA Finals if you won't be trial hopping or using a digital TV antenna. ESPN is an umbrella corporation of ABC (which itself is owned by Disney), which explains why it has the privilege to air the games at such a steal.
The ESPN+ app is available for download on Apple and Android devices, Amazon Fire, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Facebook Portal, and even the Oculus Go VR headset.
YouTube TV
You'll see ABC pushing YouTube TV as the choice streaming TV platform for the NBA Finals — not because YouTube TV is far and away the best, but because Google was willing to exchange the most money for the privilege. In fact, though viewers weren't amused in the moment, YouTube TV hilariously looped "Little Mermaid" ads during the final minutes of a hotly contested NBA playoff game.
Untimely hijinks aside, YouTube TV is a quality streaming service. It's normally $72.99 per month for the Base Plan, but new subscribers can take advantage of a free trial with access to ABC and 85+ other channels. You'll get unlimited Cloud DVR and the ability to add six accounts per household.
The free trial length varies for each account, but most will likely see an option to try 7 days of streaming with no strings attached. If you cancel your trial mid-way through, you'll lose access immediately, so plan your timing accordingly to prevent missed games or unwanted charges.
YouTube TV is widely available across the most popular streaming devices. For TVs, take your pick between Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony, Hisense, Sharp, and anything running Android TV, Google TV, any Roku TV, or any Amazon Fire TV.
Standalone streaming devices supported include Chromecast, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire Stick and Cube. You can also access YouTube TV on Xbox One and later, PlayStation 4 and later, Google Nest Hub and Max, and on Android and iOS devices.
FuboTV
If you're a sports buff, you may be familiar with FuboTV. While this streaming TV service offers access to a variety of channels and content, it specializes in sports.
ABC and ESPN are among the channels included in Fubo Pro, which is its most affordable package, but not cheap at $74.99 monthly. For $10 more, the Elite plan adds NBA TV. FuboTV is one of few services offering a 7-day free trial, which is just long enough to squeeze in any three-game stretch of the NBA Finals.
Fubo's app is available on most major smart TVs (LG, Samsung, HiSense, and Vizio), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox, and Chromecast. You can also watch on your Android and iOS phones and tablets, as well as via any modern web browser on Mac and PC.
Between games, you can check out more than 150 premium channels on up to 10 devices at home, with three screens for simultaneous on-the-road streaming. You'll also get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR recording, so you aren't totally doomed if you miss tip-off or can't catch one of the games.
Sling TV
Sling TV is your cheapest option among live TV services that offer access to ABC. With introductory pricing, you can subscribe to packages that start as low as $30 or $40 (it varies by market). Sling does not offer a free trial.
There's just one catch here: ABC is not offered in every Sling market. The best way to check whether yours is on the list is to head to its website and punch in your zip code during the signup process.
As of March 2023, five of the top six markets in the United States can access ABC on Sling: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Fresno, Houston, and Raleigh-Durham are also on the list. Altogether, only 23% of U.S. residents can go this route.
If you're part of the chosen, you'll be able to access Sling on tons of devices. You can find it on iOS and Android, PC web browsers, Amazon Fire and Echo Show devices, Android/Google TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google Nest, Tivo Stream, AirTV Mini, Xbox Series X|S, LG TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku and Roku TV, and Vizio TVs.
Hulu + Live TV
If you're already a Hulu subscriber, it may be time to try the Live TV add-on. Hulu + Live TV includes local and premium channels, including ABC and ESPN. The service costs $69.99 monthly, and includes ad-supported access to Disney+ and ESPN+.
Sadly, Hulu does not offer a free trial for its Live TV service, so you'll want to look elsewhere if you can't pay to watch the games. For the money, you'll get simultaneous multi-device streaming (up to two, but you can add more for an additional fee) and unlimited DVR.
The biggest advantage to going this route is its ubiquity: Hulu + Live TV is available on virtually any device. Compatible hardware includes Android and iOS devices, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Fire Tablets and Fire TVs, Chromecast, LG TVs, Samsung TVs, and Roku and Roku Stick. There are also weird ones in the mix, like the Nintendo Switch, Amazon's Echo Show, and the ancient Xbox 360.
DirecTV Stream
You'll need the Choice package for DirecTV Stream to access affiliate channels, which includes ABC for streaming the NBA Finals live, plus NBA TV for around-the-clock coverage. NBA League Pass is available as an add-on if you want the ability to watch older games on demand.
DirecTV Stream Choice normally starts at $99.99 monthly, but you can take advantage of a current promotion that'll take $10 off for three months. DirecTV offers a 5-day free trial before asking you to pay, which isn't terribly long, but it'll help you catch a couple of games.
Your subscription includes unlimited Cloud DVR for recording broadcasts you can't watch live. While highly rated, DirecTV Stream's apps aren't as widely available as other options. You'll find it on Android and iOS, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google and Android TV devices (Chromecast included), Roku, and select Samsung TV models released between 2017 and 2021.
Do I need NBA TV or NBA League Pass?
You do not need NBA TV or NBA League Pass to watch the NBA Finals. Several streaming services offer these premium and add-on channels, but unless you're craving dedicated NBA coverage, you can skip them entirely.
NBA TV has 24/7 analysis and commentary surrounding the NBA, and it airs several regular season and classic games throughout the NBA season. The NBA League Pass allows you to catch live out-of-market games. League Pass also has past games available on-demand. These are compelling options if you want to catch up on some of the games that led to the NBA Finals, but they often come with added costs, or are only available as part of the more expensive channel packages of streaming services that provide them.
Most important for watching NBA Finals games is access to ABC or ESPN+, so save some money by opting out of these packages if you only want to watch the championship games.
When should I use my free trial?
If you plan to use a free trial to watch the NBA Finals, try to dartboard the best window for redeeming it. Most trials only offer 7 days, enough to stream only three games in a tournament that spans nearly three weeks.
With a 7-day trial, your easiest decision is to skip game 1 on June 1, otherwise, you're guaranteed to miss the finale. If you start from game 2 (June 4), you can watch for free up until game 4 (June 9).
The odds of seeing another full sweep are low, so starting from game 4 is your safest target for activating your free trial. On average, the deciding result is most commonly determined between games 5 (June 12) and 6 (June 15). If it does go to a rare game 7 (June 18), you can sign up for a different service's trial, or go for the more exciting option: attending a buddy's watch party or catching the game with a drink and crowd at your local sports bar.