The 2023/24 NBA regular season has arrived, and with it fans are flocking back to their TV’s and streaming devices.
Free agency and a strong draft helped reshape the league’s rosters, so chances are good that a new team will be crowned champion.
With so much to anticipate Australian fans are keen to know two things. Will any NBA games be broadcast live on free-to-air TV in 2024, and which streaming services are available to use?
Read on for the answer to these questions, and check out the interactive TV fixtures for this week’s round of action.
Will any 2024 NBA games be shown live on SBS free-to-air TV?
In prior seasons Australian free-to-air network SBS was able to strike a deal to deliver two live NBA broadcasts each week. The games were shown in HD, on its VICELAND channel and SBS On Demand streaming platform.
This agreement didn’t include the NBA Playoffs, but did include a selection of WNBA games, which earned SBS the title of “the free to air home of the NBA in Australia”.
That deal expired prior to last season, but there was speculation that SBS would secure select NBA Playoff simulcast rights from ESPN of Australia (Foxtel/Kayo). However, that outcome never materialised.
This season the hope continues, but so far there’s been no confirmation that SBS will show live NBA games in 2024. Should that at anytime change, this page will be updated with the exact broadcasting details.
NBA fans down-under should not despair, because there’s still a variety of options for watching the NBA live in Australia.
Who has the live TV rights to the 2024 NBA season and playoffs?
The 2023/24 broadcast rights for watching NBA games live in Australia belong to Foxtel, Kayo Sports and the NBA League Pass.
Foxtel and Kayo Sports, via the ESPN and ESPN 2 channels, will show an average of nine games live per week during the regular season. This includes the in-season tournament and the NBA All-star game.
These live TV rights extend into the 2024 NBA playoffs and play-in. During which Foxtel and Kayo will have the best match-ups in the first two rounds, as well as every game of the Conference and NBA Finals.
Foxtel and Kayo will also provide replays of every live game they televise. Foxtel’s replays will be at scheduled times, and Kayo’s will be available on-demand.
Alternatively, the NBA League Pass streaming service will carry every 2023/24 NBA game live, whether it’s the regular season, playoffs or Finals.
Let’s review each of these options, Kayo Sports, Foxtel and the NBA League Pass. They each differ in pricing, free trials, quality of the broadcast, and mobile device compatibility.
When is the next NBA game on TV in Australia?
Use the TV fixtures table below to see when the next NBA game is on TV in Australia this week, and the providers that will be showing them live as they happen.
All dates/times shown as AEST, adjust for regional differences.
Stream the NBA live on Kayo
FeaturedKayo Sports offers the exact same NBA coverage on ESPN as Foxtel. This includes an average of nine live games during the regular season, and every game of the Conference and NBA finals.
The games streamed live on Kayo are also available to be watched later as condensed on-demand replays. Both the live feeds and the replays are available in HD.
Kayo differs from the NBA League Pass in that it offers over 50 sports that can be streamed live. Among the North American sport are the MLB Baseball playoffs, NHL Hockey and NFL Football. The list of weekly NBA shows include NBA Today, NBA Countdown, and SportsCenter.
Special features that Kayo has incorporated into their streaming platform include Key Moments, Interactive Stats, alternate camera angles, and SpitView. Splitview allows users to watch 4 different sporting events at the same time.
Kayo is available on a variety of devices. The list includes smartphones, PCs/Macs, smartphones, Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStations, Telstra TV and select Smart TVs.
The Kayo streaming service offers multiple subscription options. To view on one screen at a time, it’s $25 a month. For two screens, it’s $30 a month, and for three simultaneous streams, it’s $35 a month. There’s also no lock-in contract so you’re free to pause or cancell anytime.
Stream NBA live online with Foxtel Now
Foxtel is the television home to the NBA in Australia, with ESPN leading the broadcasting. Foxtel Now is Foxtel’s online streaming platform, which gives it some flexibility in terms of pricing and the different ways content can be watched.
The NBA coverage includes an average of nine live games during the regular season. As for the playoffs, every game of the Conference finals and NBA Championship will be shown live. The live games on Foxtel Now can be watched later as condensed “Fox Minis”, which are 30″ in length.
Foxtel Now differs from the NBA League Pass in that it also has live coverage of over 50 sports. The weekly NBA shows are also identical, such as NBA Today, NBA Countdown and other ESPN content.
Foxtel Now is available on a variety of mobile devices. Examples include PCs/Macs, Chromecast/AirPlay, PlayStations, Telstra TV, Android TV and of course, the Foxtel Now box.
To watch the NBA playoffs on ESPN you will need add the Sport pack ($29 a month) to the Essentials pack ($25 a month). Foxtel Now can also be paused or cancelled at anytime, so you only pay for the months you need it.
Stream NBA live with the League Pass
If you’re a major fan of the NBA, and want to watch every game, the NBA League Pass may be an ideal solution. With the NBA League Pass you can choose between annual or monthly subscriptions. There’s also a free trial that’s often available, which will allow you to test it out.
This flexibility means if you only want to watch the playoffs or the finals, you can pay for those months and cancel afterwards. You will also get news, statistics, highlights and recaps from the current NBA season.
There’s also a plan that allows you to just watch your favourite team. Keep in mind however, you can only watch League Pass on one device at any time. That is, unless you opt for the League Pass Premium package. It’s more costly but allows you to watch on two devices at once.
The NBA League Pass can be viewed on a range of devices. The list includes smartphones and tablets, the latest PlayStation, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Firestick and Xbox One. To be able to watch on any of those devices, you’ll need to download the official NBA app.
