A guide for live streaming the NBA Playoffs. Guest post by Chris Brantner of Streaming Observer.
On April 13th the NBA Playoffs will begin. Teams from the league, some of which are having crazy good seasons, will be battling out to get to the Finals, which will take place in the end of May and the beginning of June. Here is the TV schedule.
It used to be that streaming sports was nearly impossible, but there are quite a few options to watch NBA Playoffs online without cable. In order to watch the Playoffs, you’ll need ABC, TNT, NBA TV, ESPN, and ESPNews. All of these channels are available without cable. You just need to know where to find them! In fact, thanks to digital antennas and free streaming trials, you could move from trial to trial and watch most, if not all, of the whole thing free!
With that in mind, let’s look at the ways that you can watch the NBA Playoffs without cable!
Use Your Digital Antenna
The best, easiest, and cheapest way to get local channels (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and even PBS) is with a digital antenna. It’s definitely one of the must-have items in your cord-cutting arsenal. A good antenna will scan for miles to pick up as many channels as it can in your area. The visual quality is offered in HD with many antennas, so it’s crystal clear. The sound is usually great, too. In short, if you’re cord-cutting and don’t have a digital antenna, you should get one.
If you don’t have an antenna yet and you’re not sure what channels would be available there are several ways to find out what you’ll get, based on location. TVFool.com is one website that can shed some light on whether ABC is available over-the-air in your area.
Sling TV
The great thing about Sling TV is the price. For $30 per month you’ll have all you need to watch the complete NBA Playoffs online. If you’re looking to add a streaming service to your home, Sling TV is the cheapest option where sports are concerned. The Sling Orange package delivers ESPN and ESPN3 (which airs ABC games). This package is available for $25 a month after a one-week trial. The sports bundle can also be added to your package. This gives you NBA TV and ESPNews. Together this is all you need to watch all the games that will round out the NBA season. Sling TV also offers features access to TV Everywhere apps like Watch ESPN, which provides another way to watch the games. Sling TV works with most devices, so you shouldn’t have any problem keeping up on the games from just about any location.
Hulu Live
Another option is Hulu Live. This service usually makes the best sense for current Hulu subscribers, as Hulu on-demand is included with this service. 60+ channels are available. In terms of NBA Playoffs streaming, the only thing missing is NBA TV. Most areas will have the ABC live stream and if you don’t, you can watch those games through the WatchESPN app. Otherwise, ESPN and ESPNews are included. Hulu Live also offers a cloud-DVR, so if you have to miss a game, you can record it and watch it later. Prices start at $45 per month, but there are no contracts. You can sign up for the free weeklong trial, watch the games that air that week and then cancel without having to pay a dime. Streaming is possible on most of the commonly used streaming devices.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another solid choice. Like with Sling TV, all of the channels you need to watch the NBA Playoffs are here. ABC is available live in most areas, but if not, there’s always the Watch ESPN app. You’ll also have ESPN, ESPNews, and NBA TV. All in all, you’ll have 50+ channels for $50 per month. Like Hulu Live, YouTube TV features a cloud-DVR so you can record games. The difference here is that you have unlimited available space. There’s a free 7-day trial here, as well. With that in mind, just watch the games for a week and if this isn’t the service for you (or you don’t want to pay for it) you can cancel at the end of the trial. YouTube TV works on Apple TV, Chromecast, mobile devices, and more, with the exception of Fire TV devices, which aren’t compatible.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue is the final option we’re going to talk about. Like many of the other options here, you can get everything you need for the playoffs in one spot. There are multiple package options, but the Core plan is your cheapest shot for PlayStation Vue viewing at $50 per month. This includes all you need, with the possible exception of ABC if it’s not available live in your area. Still you would have access to Watch ESPN, so you’d be covered either way. A cloud-DVR is offered as is a free trial, though this one only lasts 5-days, not a full week. You can stream on all sorts of devices from PS3 and PS4 consoles to Roku, Apple TV, and others.
So, there you have it. As you can see, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to watch NBA Playoffs from start to finish! Better than that, with a digital antenna all your ABC games will be free. As for streaming you can go from free trial to free trial, without ever having to pay to watch a game! This is also a great way to find the right service for you! Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the Playoffs!
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