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The NBA is back, which means TNT once again becomes one of the most important channels on the guide. Not only will TNT have multiple games per week, but “Inside the NBA” with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson is must-watch TV.
Fortunately for those of you who don’t have cable, you can still watch NBA games and “Inside the NBA” online via one of the following cable-free, live-streaming services:
FuboTV: Main bundle includes TNT, NBA TV, local sports networks, 85 total channels, 30 hours of cloud DVR, and ability to watch games on-demand up to three days after they air even if you didn’t DVR them. NBA League Pass (watch all out-of-market games) is also available as an add-on.
Hulu With Live TV: Main bundle includes TNT, ESPN, local sports networks, 50 total channels, 50 hours of cloud DVR, and Hulu’s complete library of TV shows and movies.
Sling TV: Sling Orange includes TNT and ESPN, while Sling Blue includes local sports networks. NBA TV, NBA League Pass and Cloud-DVR are available as separate add-ons.
You can sign up via the above links, or you can read on for a more thorough rundown of each service:
FuboTV
Whether you want to watch your hometown team on a local sports network like NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, Fox Sports Oklahoma or YES Network, or you want to watch nationally televised games on TNT, FuboTV is an excellent streaming service for watching NBA online.
The main “Fubo” channel package includes the local sports network in your area (with a few exceptions), NBA TV and TNT. Plus, if you’re looking to watch out-of-market games, NBA League Pass–which allows you to watch every single out-of-market, non-nationally televised game–can also be included as an add-on.
In terms of user experience, FuboTV has a clean interface that lets you search by sport, a customizable guide that lets you move favorite channels to the top, the ability to watch on two different screens at once, 30 hours of cloud DVR, and perhaps most importantly, a handy “72-hour lookback” feature, which lets you watch games on-demand up to three days later even without recording them.
Total Channels Included: About 85 (exact number depends on local channels available), including TNT
Pricing Options: The main “Fubo” package costs $39.99 for the first month, and then $44.99 per month after that. NBA League Pass can be added for $28.99 per month
Extras: Watch on two different devices at once; 30 hours of cloud DVR; “72-hour lookback” feature, which allows you to watch any game up to three days after it airs, even if you forgot to DVR it
How to Sign Up: Head to the FuboTV website and select “Start Your Free Trial”. After creating an account, select your channel package and any extras if you want (League Pass can’t be added to a free trial). You’ll need to enter your payment information, but if you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, just return to the FuboTV website and navigate to TNT to start watching live. You can also search by sport to find the specific game you want to watch. The Chrome browser is suggested.
If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the FuboTV app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu
Hulu with Live TV offers a great mix of entertainment and live sports for cord-cutters.
Not only does it come with an extensive Netflix-like library of on-demand TV shows (Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, etc.) and movies, but it also includes the local sports network in your area (with a few exceptions), TNT and ESPN
There are lots of nice user experience features, too. The interface allows you to add specific teams to “My Stuff,” you can get mobile push notifications for when games begin, there’s a Sports filter in the Live guide, you can watch on two devices at once, and 50 hours of cloud DVR are included.
Total Channels Included: 50-plus (exact number depends on local channels in your market), including TNT, as well as Hulu’s on-demand streaming library (a $7.99 or $11.99 per month value).
Pricing Options: Hulu With Live TV (with the “Limited Commercials” on-demand plan): $39.99 per month | Hulu With Live TV (with the “No Commercials” on-demand library plan): $43.99 per month
Extras: The regular Hulu With Live TV plan allows you to watch on two different devices at the same time, but you can watch on unlimited screens at the same time for $15 per month extra; 50 hours of cloud DVR is included, but you can upgrade to 200 hours of enhanced cloud DVR for $15 per month.
How to Sign Up: Go to the Hulu website and select “Sign Up Now”. After creating an account, select your desired package and then enter your payment information to sign up.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, simply return to the Hulu website and select “Start Watching” at the top of the page, and then “Live TV.” Then scroll to TNT or another channel to start watching a game. You can also search by sport or team to find a game to watch.
If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the Hulu app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, select Smart TV’s and other devices.
Sling TV
If you’re just wanting to watch TNT (included in both “Sling Orange” and “Sling Blue”), Sling TV has low initial price point. But if you want to have both ESPN (included in “Sling Orange”) and your local sports network (included in “Sling Blue”), or if you also want DVR, the necessary add-ons hurt the value.
Still, it’s a good option if you want to keep things basic.
Total Channels Included: Sling Blue has 40-plus channels (exact number depends on local channels available), including TNT and local sports network. Sling Orange has 29 channels, including TNT and ESPN. The “Sports Extra” add-on includes NBA TV
Price: Sling Blue: $25 per month | Sling Orange: $25 per month | Sling Orange+Blue: $40 per month | Sports Extra add-on: $10 per month | NBA League Pass (also gets you NBA TV): $29 per month
Extras: Watch on one device at once with Sling Orange or three devices at once with Sling Blue; 50 hours of cloud DVR is $5 per month extra.
How to Sign Up: Go to the Sling TV website and select “Watch Now 7 Days Free.” After creating an account, select your channel package and any extras you want, then enter your payment information to sign up.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, just return to the Sling TV website and navigate to TNT or whatever channel you want to start watching a game. If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the Sling TV app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones, Fire tablets, and Xbox One.