How to watch the NBA in the UK

Jonathan Victoria • 07 Nov 2023 Guides

A slightly confusing change that seemed to go under the radar…

The NBA is well and truly back and delivering the most electrifying basketball fans have ever seen. A new batch of rookies are beginning to make their marks on their respective teams, while old veterans of the league continue to showcase their incredible athletic abilities.

But in all this excitement, one thing seemed to slip through the net that many fans in the UK especially seemed to miss, and that’s what channel the NBA will be shown live on this season.

While it was Sky Sports who had the honours last year, that is no longer the case for this season as the rights have been passed over to their main rivals.

Find out how to watch the NBA in the UK, including what channel it will be on and other methods of watching it.

Who held the rights to the NBA in the UK?

Sky Sports previously held the rights to show the NBA live, having gained the rights in 2018 in a four-year deal (yes, 2018 to 2023 is not four years but there is genuinely no explanation to be found for it).

After the deal ended this year (?) the broadcasting rights were available for someone else to pick up. That’s when BT Sport, now renamed TNT Sports, came back into the picture.

Prior to Sky’s agreement in 2018, the NBA was shown exclusively on BT Sport in the UK. After BT merged with Warner Bros Discovery and launched TNT Sports, the network made it their aim to host many of the top sports and leagues around the world - including regaining the NBA.

How to watch the NBA in the UK

There are a few ways you can watch the NBA in the UK depending on what platform you intend to watch it on.

On TV

If you’re looking to tune in on your TV, you can find certain games live on the TNT Sports channels. We say certain games as it’s not all games. 

The deal includes over 250 live games throughout the regular season, which includes showing at least nine games live during each week of the regular season.

It also includes all the league’s marquee events, which include the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament (NBA Cup), the Playoffs, the Finals, All-Star weekend and the Draft.

On mobile, computer, tablet or console

If you want to watch the NBA on another platform, then you will need to download the Discovery+ app on whichever device you intend on watching it on.

If you’re a TNT Sports customer, you won’t have to worry about paying for a Discovery+ membership as one comes free with your TNT Sports TV package.

Through the Discovery+ app, you will be able to watch live games as well as on-demand coverage.

However, if you don’t have a TNT Sports package and/or don’t want to get one, there is one other way you can watch the NBA in the UK - the NBA League Pass.

What is NBA League Pass?

The NBA League Pass provides you with another way to view every game during the season. It includes:

• Live and on-demand games
• Multiple condensed game formats to make viewing key moments easier
• Access to NBA TV’s 24/7 stream
• Full game archives dating back to the 2012/13 season

It is available online, on mobile, consoles (Xbox and PlayStation) and connected devices, e.g. Amazon Fire TV.

Some restrictions do apply in certain countries but is fully available in the UK.

How much is NBA League Pass?

The League Pass is available for £99.99 for the season pass or £14.99 a month. You can also benefit from a seven-day trial before you commit to a paid membership.

You can also upgrade to the Premium League Pass, which lets you stream games on three devices at the same time as opposed to one on the standard pass, as well as access to in-arena content during commercial breaks.

The Premium League Pass is available for £139.99 per season or £19.99 per month.

Additionally, if you’re only interested in watching your favourite team then you can purchase a singe-team League Pass for £94.99 per season.