The Cheapest Way to Watch the NBA in 2026 (US, UK, Worldwide)

NBA League Pass is the official global streaming product from the league, available in around 200 countries. Pricing varies dramatically by region — the same product costs $14.99/month in the US, £14.99/month in the UK, A$22.99/month in Australia, and as little as ₹999/year (about $1/month) in India. For an international fan, NBA League Pass is the cheapest way to watch every regular-season game live and on-demand. The NBA also splits US national TV rights between TNT, ESPN/ABC and NBC starting in 2025-26 — the new media rights deal worth $76 billion across 11 years brings NBC back into the NBA broadcast tent for the first time since 2002. The Finals continue to air on ABC in the US, free over-the-air with a digital antenna.

Local-market regional sports networks (RSNs) carry your home team's games — Spectrum SportsNet for the Lakers, MSG for the Knicks, NBC Sports Bay Area for the Warriors, and so on. These RSNs are typically only available through cable or specific streaming services, and their availability has been disrupted as several Bally Sports / Diamond Sports networks have collapsed or rebranded. NBA League Pass blocks home-team games for in-market viewers due to RSN exclusivity. For out-of-market fans (e.g. you live in Los Angeles but want to follow the Boston Celtics), NBA League Pass at $14.99/month is the only legal option to watch every game. The annual plan at $99/year is significantly cheaper at $8.25/month-equivalent. The Premium tier at $22.99/month adds in-arena audio and an ad-free experience. For TNT and ESPN national broadcasts, Sling Orange + Sports Extra ($55/month combined) is among the cheapest legal cable-replacement options. Max with B/R Sports Add-On ($9.99/month above the standard Max subscription) carries the TNT NBA broadcasts. NBC has returned to the NBA in 2025-26 with a Sunday Night Basketball package and selected weeknight games on Peacock — the Peacock Premium subscription at $7.99/month covers these exclusively.

In the UK, Sky Sports holds rights to selected marquee NBA games via Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Action, accessible through NOW Sports Membership at £14.99/month. Sky carries about 175 regular season games plus the playoffs and Finals. NBA League Pass in the UK is £14.99/month or £79.99/year for the international version — and crucially, it does NOT geo-block UK viewers from any games (unlike the US version which blocks home-team games). For UK fans, NBA League Pass is the cheapest legal way to watch every game live — about £6.66/month-equivalent on the annual plan. For a hardcore fan, the combination of Sky Sports (£14.99) plus NBA League Pass (£6.66 annualised) at ~£22/month gives you every game with multiple commentary options.

Australia: ESPN on Foxtel and Kayo Sports carry selected matches at A$25/month. NBA League Pass at A$22.99/month is the cheapest "every game" option, or A$229/year ($A19/month annualised). India: NBA League Pass costs ₹999/year — about $1/month — making India the cheapest country in the world to watch the NBA. Sony LIV broadcasts selected games on linear TV. Canada: TSN and Sportsnet carry the NBA. NBA League Pass at C$249.99/year ($20.83/month-equivalent) is the cheapest "every game" option. Germany: DAZN holds selected NBA rights at €19.99/month. NBA League Pass is also available at €14.99/month. For every other market, NBA League Pass is sold and pricing varies — generally cheaper in emerging markets and more expensive in mature pay-TV markets.

In the United States, the NBA Finals are broadcast live on ABC every June. ABC is a free over-the-air network, so any digital TV antenna will receive the signal in nearly every US zip code. No subscription is required. In the UK, no broadcaster has historically shown the NBA Finals free — Sky Sports has held the rights for many years. In Australia, Channel 10 has shown the Finals free in past seasons, though this depends on year-to-year broadcast deals. Always check the current arrangement. In the Philippines (where basketball has the highest TV ratings of any country), TV5 carries the NBA Finals free. Mexico, Brazil and several Latin American countries also carry the Finals free on terrestrial TV.