NBAUpdated Jun 20, 2026
How to Watch the NBA 2025-26 Season in Australia
Every way to watch the NBA in Australia for 2025-26 — ESPN via Kayo Sports is the primary home, Disney+ now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast (including all the Finals) in the standard subscription, plus Amazon Prime Video and NBA League Pass. No free-to-air. Soft prices and the cheapest route.
By Matchcast Editorial · Published
Broadcasters
5
Free options
Yes
Coverage
Global
The short answer
To watch the NBA in Australia for 2025-26: the primary home is ESPN, which in Australia is carried through Kayo Sports — so a Kayo subscription gets you ESPN's NBA coverage. New for this season, Disney+ now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast, including all of the Finals, within its standard subscription — a genuinely new and convenient route for households that already have Disney+. Amazon Prime Video also carries a package of NBA games, and the league's own NBA League Pass streams every game for fans who want all of it. There is no free-to-air NBA in Australia. So the easiest paths are Kayo (for ESPN) or Disney+ (for every ESPN broadcast in the standard sub); add Prime Video or League Pass for more games. Check Kayo, Disney+, Prime Video and the NBA for current prices at sign-up.
ESPN via Kayo Sports: the primary route
ESPN holds the marquee NBA rights in Australia, and the way most Australians reach ESPN is through Kayo Sports — the Foxtel-owned streaming service that carries the ESPN channels. A Kayo subscription therefore delivers ESPN's NBA slate: the national-TV games, the marquee matchups, the playoffs and the Finals, all streamed.
Kayo is a contract-free streaming service watchable on smart TVs, phones, tablets, browsers and streaming sticks, with its SplitView feature handy for the busy NBA nights when several games run at once. It is sold in tiers (a Standard tier and a Premium tier with more concurrent streams); note that Kayo's pricing was raised in February 2026, so rather than quote a figure that may now be stale, check Kayo's current tiers and prices at sign-up. For an Australian NBA fan who also follows other sports Kayo carries, it is the natural primary subscription.
Disney+: every ESPN NBA broadcast in the standard sub
The genuinely new development for 2025-26 is Disney+. Disney+ in Australia now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast — including all of the Finals — inside its standard subscription, as ESPN content has been folded into the Disney+ service. For the many Australian households that already pay for Disney+ for its films and series, this is a remarkably convenient route: the NBA arrives at no extra cost beyond the subscription they already hold.
This is a real expansion of access, not a marketing flourish: where in past seasons the Finals sat behind a dedicated sports subscription, the standard Disney+ tier now carries them. Disney+ streams on smart TVs, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, consoles, phones, tablets and the web. Check the Disney+ site for its current standard price at sign-up. For a casual Australian NBA fan, Disney+ may now be the single simplest way to watch the marquee games and the Finals.
Amazon Prime Video and NBA League Pass
Beyond ESPN/Kayo and Disney+, two more routes round out the Australian NBA picture. Amazon Prime Video carries a package of NBA games, included with a Prime membership — useful for fans who already subscribe to Prime, and a way to pick up games that sit on Amazon's slate. Check Amazon for the current Prime price at sign-up.
NBA League Pass — the league's own streaming service — is the completist's option: it carries every regular-season game live and on demand, with multi-game viewing and condensed replays, and is the best pick for an Australian fan following a single team whose every game they want, including the out-of-market ones the broadcast packages do not all carry. League Pass is sold monthly or for the full season; check the NBA site for current pricing. Note that, as in most markets, League Pass can be subject to blackouts on games carried exclusively by the local broadcast rights-holders, so it complements rather than fully replaces the ESPN/Disney+ route for the marquee fixtures.
Is the NBA free to watch in Australia, and what about the time difference?
No — there is no free-to-air NBA in Australia. Neither Seven, Nine, Ten nor the ABC carries live NBA games, so every live match sits behind one of the paid routes: Kayo (for ESPN), Disney+ (every ESPN broadcast in the standard sub), Amazon Prime Video, or NBA League Pass. Free content is limited to highlights and clips on the NBA's official YouTube and social channels.
On timing, the NBA is an American evening league played while Australia is at work or school the next day. US East Coast tip-offs of around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET land in the late morning to early afternoon on the Australian east coast the following day (AEDT is roughly 16 hours ahead of ET in the southern summer). In practice that means many marquee games are a daytime watch in Australia — a lunchtime or early-afternoon viewing rather than the middle-of-the-night ordeal NBA fans face in the UK. The Finals in June, the West Coast late games and the weekend slate all shift the exact local time around, so check Matchcast for the precise Australian kick-off time of each game, with the broadcaster listed on every match page.
NBA Broadcasters
- VisitESPN (via Kayo Sports)StreamingESPNESPN2
Primary Australian NBA home — ESPN's NBA coverage (national-TV games, marquee matchups, playoffs and Finals) is carried in Australia through the Kayo Sports streaming service. Contract-free, with SplitView for concurrent games. Sold in Standard and Premium tiers; pricing was raised in February 2026, so check Kayo's current tiers and prices at sign-up.
- VisitDisney+Streaming
New for 2025-26: Disney+ in Australia now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast — including all of the Finals — within its standard subscription, as ESPN content folded into Disney+. The simplest route for households that already have Disney+ for films and series. Streams on all major devices. Check the current standard price at sign-up.
- VisitAmazon Prime VideoStreaming
Carries a package of NBA games, included with an Amazon Prime membership. Useful for picking up the games on Amazon's slate if you already subscribe to Prime. Check Amazon for the current Prime price at sign-up.
- VisitNBA League PassStreaming
The league's own streaming service — every regular-season game live and on demand, with multi-game viewing and condensed replays. Best for single-team fans who want every game including out-of-market ones. Sold monthly or per season; can be subject to blackouts on locally-exclusive broadcast games. Check the NBA site for current pricing.
- VisitFree-to-air TVFree
No free-to-air live NBA in Australia — neither Seven, Nine, Ten nor the ABC carries live games. Free content is limited to highlights and clips on the NBA's official YouTube and social channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the NBA in Australia?
ESPN is the primary NBA home in Australia, carried through the Kayo Sports streaming service — so a Kayo subscription gets you ESPN's NBA coverage including the Finals. New for 2025-26, Disney+ now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast (including all the Finals) within its standard subscription. Amazon Prime Video carries a package of games, and NBA League Pass streams every game. There is no free-to-air NBA in Australia.
Can I watch the NBA Finals on Disney+ in Australia?
Yes — and this is new for 2025-26. Disney+ in Australia now carries every ESPN NBA broadcast, including all of the Finals, within its standard subscription, as ESPN content folded into Disney+. For households that already pay for Disney+ for films and series, the Finals now arrive at no extra cost. Check the Disney+ site for the current standard price at sign-up.
Is the NBA free to watch in Australia?
No. There is no free-to-air live NBA in Australia — neither Seven, Nine, Ten nor the ABC carries live games. Every live match sits behind a paid route: Kayo (for ESPN), Disney+ (every ESPN broadcast in the standard sub), Amazon Prime Video, or NBA League Pass. Free content is limited to highlights and clips on the NBA's official channels.
What is the cheapest way to watch the NBA in Australia?
If you already pay for Disney+ for films and series, it is now hard to beat: Disney+ carries every ESPN NBA broadcast — including the Finals — in its standard subscription for 2025-26, at no extra cost. Otherwise Kayo Sports is the primary route to ESPN's coverage (check its current tiers, which were repriced in February 2026), and NBA League Pass is best value for single-team completists. Check each provider for current pricing.
What time do NBA games start in Australian time?
The NBA is a US evening league, so games land in Australian daytime the following day — US East Coast tip-offs of around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET arrive in the late morning to early afternoon on the Australian east coast (AEDT runs roughly 16 hours ahead of ET in summer). That makes many marquee games a daytime watch in Australia rather than a middle-of-the-night one. Check Matchcast for the precise Australian kick-off time of each game.