How to watch the 2023-24 NBA Season: Where to stream basketball games, NBA game schedule and more

It’s been a minute since the Denver Nuggets brought home their first NBA Championship title over the Miami Heat, but finally, it’s time for the 2023-24 NBA season to tip off. This season already appears to belong, in part, to headline-grabbing rookies like Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Scoot Henderson. Tonight, the 2023-24 NBA season continues opening week with two games: the Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks, and the Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs, where Wemby will finally make his regular season debut.

Are you ready to tune in? In case you need a refresher, here’s how to watch NBA games in 2023 — with or without cable — where to stream basketball, the Week 1 NBA schedule and more.

What channel are NBA games on?

NBA games air nationally across TNT, ESPN and NBA TV. Games also air on local channels, and for fans who want to follow every game, NBA League Pass is a great way to catch those out-of-market games that aren’t airing on your regional sports channels. Don’t have any of those channels? Here’s how we recommend watching NBA games in 2023.

Best way to watch NBA games without cable:

(Sling)

Sling TV Orange + Sports Extra

Watch TNT, ESPN and NBA TV

Starting at just $20 for your first month, Sling TV's Orange plan offers TNT and ESPN (plus ESPN2 and ESPN3) along with 28 other channels. For NBA TV, you'll also need the $11 Sports Extras add-on. 

Right now, Sling is offering a deal when you sign up for Sling Orange and NBA League Pass — save $60 by prepaying for six months. That's a total of $270 to cover all your basketball watching-bases (for six months). A Sling subscription also includes 50 hours of free DVR storage, so if you’re worried about missing any of the NBA action, you can always record your games.

$31/mo at Sling

(Max)

Max + B/R Sports

Max has been "the one to watch" for entertainment fans for quite some time, but now, it's drawing sports fans in, too. For a limited time, Max subscribers can get the new B/R Sports add-on totally free. That includes live NBA games on TNT — plus NHL games, NCAA March Madness, MLB Postseason games and U.S. Soccer. 

$10 at Max

2023 NBA Week 1 National TV game schedule:

All times Eastern. Looking for NBA games on your local sports channels? You can find the full NBA game schedule here.

Tuesday, Oct. 24

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets: 7:30 p.m. (TNT)

Phoenix Suns vs. The Golden State Warriors: 10 p.m. (TNT)

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks: 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs: 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, Oct. 26

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 7:30 p.m. (TNT)

Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers: 10 p.m. (TNT)

Friday, Oct. 27

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings: 10 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Oct. 28

New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans: 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns: 10 p.m. (NBA TV)

Every way to watch the 2023 NBA season:

(DirecTV)

DirecTV Choice

Watch TNT, ESPN and NBA TV

DirecTV’s $85 monthly Choice tier will get you access to every channel you need to watch NBA games on TNT, ESPN and NBA TV, along with A&E, AMC, BET, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney Channel and 50+ other channels. Every DirecTV subscriber, regardless of tier, gets access to an unlimited cloud DVR, so you can record as much basketball as you'd like. The Choice package also includes Regional Sports Networks and specialty sports channels. The downside? After all those regional sports fees plus taxes, this package is closer to $114 monthly. 

$85 at DirecTV