The 2024 NBA season promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with star players switching sides, and young players taking the next step. Given all the off-season movement, there’s no telling who’ll be crowned this year’s champions.
The 2023/24 season will also hold the first ever in-season tournament from November to December. All games during the tournament, except the final, will count toward the official standings. Offering a unique chance for every team to see how they stack–up before the regular season stretch run.
The All-Star will game commences in February of 2024, with the play-in tournament from 16-19 April.
The NBA playoffs start on 20 April, and the finals are scheduled to begin on 6 June.
With everything now on the line, here’s where to watch the NBA in Australia, live or on-demand, and the available streaming options for fans that prefer to use mobile devices.
How to watch the NBA Playoffs live in Australia
In Australia, the 2023/24 television broadcast rights for the NBA belong exclusively to ESPN and ESPN 2. ESPN of Australia will broadcast on average nine live NBA games per week during the regular season. The games are typically the top match-ups each week, involving the teams with the best chance of post-season play.
The live programming on ESPN will also include All-Star Weekend, the Christmas Day games, plus the popular shows NBA Today and Inside the NBA. This coverage extends well into the play-offs, with every game of the Conference Finals and NBA Finals shown live.
Fortunately, there’s several ways to watch ESPN in Australia including Foxtel, Foxtel Now, Telstra and Kayo Sports. For fans that miss out on the live action, scheduled replays (Foxtel/Foxtel Now) and on-demand NBA minis (Kayo Sports) will be available after the live action is over.
Unfortunately, the NBA is no longer available on free-to-air in Australia. As SBS failed to renew their contract to show two live games per week. Those games have been picked up by ESPN as well.
Where to stream the NBA Playoffs in 2024
For Australian fans that wish to watch on their mobile devices, there’s several options for streaming the NBA live.
As mentioned above, the online platform Foxtel Now and the streaming service Kayo Sports will have an average of nine live games per week. You can also stream the NBA live using the Foxtel Go app if you have a Foxtel iQ set-top box.
Alternatively, the league’s own streaming service is the NBA League Pass. In addition to having every game live, the NBA League Pass offers news, highlights, recaps, and streams 24/7.
The NBA League Pass offers multiple packages including monthly or annual subscriptions, as well as individual team passes. And while the streaming quality is not on par with watching via your desktop or tablet with Foxtel Now or Kayo Sports, it’s competitively priced.
When are the NBA Playoffs live on TV in Australia today?
Below are the live Australian TV fixtures with dates, times and broadcasters for the games on this week’s NBA schedule. Unfortunately, the NBA is no longer available on free to air in Australia.
New match-ups, dates and TV times will replace today’s games as each has concluded. All dates and times shown as AEDT.
| NBA Playoffs | Date/Time (AEST) | Streaming Service |
|---|---|---|
| 76ers v Knicks R1, G3 | LIVE: Fri, 26 Apr, 9:30am – 12:00pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Lakers v Nuggets R1, G3 | LIVE: Fri, 26 Apr, 12:00pm – 2:30pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Mavericks v Clippers R1, G3 | LIVE: Sat, 27 Apr, 10:00am – 12:30pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Suns v Timberwolves R1, G3 | LIVE: Sat, 27 Apr, 12:30pm – 3:00pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Heat v Celtics R1, G3 | LIVE: Sun, 28 Apr, 8:00am – 10:30am | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Lakers v Nuggets R1, G4 | LIVE: Sun, 28 Apr, 10:30am – 1:00pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Pelicans v Thunder R1, G4 | LIVE: Tues, 30 Apr, 10:30am – 1;00pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
| Nuggets v Lakers R1, G5 | LIVE: Tues, 30 Apr, 12:00pm – 2:30pm | Kayo Sports / Foxtel |
FeaturedStream the NBA live on Kayo Sports
A Kayo Sports subscription gives you full access to the same ESPN channels as Foxtel. For fans who want to catch up on the early-morning action, Kayo Minis provide on demand NBA replays after the live games have concluded.
Kayo also have other built-in features that maximise your viewing experience. Features such as Interactive Graphics, SplitView, No Spoilers and a Key Moments option which provide real-time highlights whikle you’re watching the games.
Kayo doesn’t have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you’re no longer using it. To check it out, simply choose between the Basic or Premium plans.
The Kayo One Plan (stream on one device) costs $25 per month, whilst the Basic Plan (stream on up to two devices at once) comes in at $35 per month. Both of these Kayo Sports plans come with the exact same features, the only difference being device usage.
*Kayo subscribers are advised that starting 16th of January, Kayo Premium will no longer be available upon sign up. Subscribers of Premium will be moved to Basic between 14th of February to 13th of March, depending on their billing date. All Basic subscribers will then have 4k access starting 12th of February.
Watch the NBA live online with Foxtel Now
Another option to watch the NBA live in Australia is with Foxtel Now. The Foxtel Now streaming service offers access to all the sport on Foxtel via their Sports Pack.
This means that you get access to all the live and on-demand sports Foxtel has to offer, including the NBA, NBL, WNBA, the NCAA, as well as the Australian Boomers and Opals.
To access Foxtel Now you will need to sign-up for Sports Pack and Essentials Pack. Keep in mind the commitment isn’t permanent because you’re free to pause or cancel your subscription at anytime.
Foxtel Now is available on a variety of internet and mobile devices, including phones, tablets, PC and Macs, Smart TV’s, Chromecast, Airplay and PlayStation 4 to name a few. There’s also the option to use the Foxtel Go mobile app when you’re away from home.
Stream the NBA live with the League Pass
With the NBA League Pass, you can choose between annual or monthly subscriptions and gain instant access to live games and other NBA related content. There’s also a free trial that’s often available, which will allow you to test it out.
The League Pass flexibility means, for example, if you only want to watch the playoffs or the finals you can pay just 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.
Which streaming services have live NBA games?
Here is the list of sports streaming providers that will show live NBA streams in Australia.
If NBA fixtures are made available with alternative providers further down the line, this table will be updated.
| Streaming Services | NBA |
|---|---|
| Kayo Sports | Yes |
| Foxtel Now | Yes |
| NBA League Pass | Yes |
| Free to Air | No |
| Paramount+ | No |
| Stan Sport | No |
| Optus Sports | No |
