The new NBA season just became even more accessible, with free to air broadcaster SBS announcing a multiyear deal which will see two regular season games shown per week live and in high definition on its Viceland channel.

The games which are aired will also be shown on the network’s streaming platform, SBS On Demand, where they will be available to watch either live or on-demand. The SBS website will feature additional NBA content to supplement the broadcast. The deal comes alongside a partnership with the WNBA which will see one game per week aired on SBS in 2020 and 2021, and soon after SBS began a partnership with the NBL.

NBA returns to Free to Air with SBS deal

The deal will make SBS the stand-alone free to air broadcaster of the world’s biggest basketball league for the 2019/20 season, which tips off on October 23. It represents the first time in eight years that the NBA will be available on free to air in Australia, after One HD relinquished the rights nearly eight years ago. Since then, the NBA had been available in Australia exclusively via ESPN – which is most commonly accessed through Foxtel and Kayo Sports – or the NBA League Pass, but this addition means the league will once again be accessible to a wider audience.

It is worth noting, however, that the quantity of NBA broadcasts on SBS will be relatively limited compared to other providers. For comparison, ESPN of Australia offers a far more extensive coverage and is available through either Foxtel or Kayo Sports. ESPN Australia (Foxtel/Kayo) is set to show 190 regular season NBA games in 2019/20, including a massive nine games in the opening week and all five Christmas Day games, which will air on Boxing Day in Australia. Kayo Sports is also offering a 14 day Free trial that has no lock-in, which would allow fans to enjoy a good chunk of the games before making a commitment.

NBA 2019 Live TV Fixtures (Sydney time)

SBS Broadcasting Guide

Details surrounding which games will be televised on SBS are as yet unclear, but we’ll be updating this page as information comes to light to ensure you can remain on top of any new developments. The games will, however, predominantly air in the mid-morning Sydney time.

While SBS is now the official NBA free to air TV provider in Australia and will offer two live matches per week, ESPN (Foxtel/Kayo) will televise 190 live NBA games during the 2019/20 season, including the All Stars weekend, the NBA Semi-Finals, Eastern and Western Conference Finals and the Championship Finals. This includes replays of the games you may have missed, and an opportunity to watch the NBA online with either Foxtel Now or Foxtel Now from Telstra. ESPN will also air a number of NBA-related shows featuring some of the game’s best analysts to supplement the broadcast, including Sportscenter, NBA Countdown and The Jump.

NBA Live Aussie TV: Thanksgiving (US) and Boxing Day

Below fixtures shown as Sydney time, adjust for regional differences. Due to licensing agreement the NBA coverage on SBS is limited to two matches per week. Alternatively, Foxtel and the Kayo Sports streaming service offer live broadcasts of 190 games throughout the season, including blockbuster match-ups on the US Thanksgiving holiday, as well as Christmas Day, (Boxing Day in Australia).

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