What Channel Is the NBA on Cable?
Wondering what channel the NBA is on cable? Check out this quick guide to find out where to catch all the action.
NBA on ESPN
The NBA is on ESPN. You can find the channel number for ESPN in your area by using the ESPN Channel Finder. The NBA finals are also broadcast on ABC. You can find the channel number for ABC in your area by using the TV Guide Channel Finder.
ESPN
ESPN is the exclusive home of the NBA on cable television. You can find ESPN on most cable and satellite providers. If you have a problem finding it, you can contact your provider for help.
TNT
The NBA on TNT is a television presentation of the National Basketball Association (NBA) produced by Turner Sports, the sports division of WarnerMedia, and televised on TNT since 1988. TNT’s NBA coverage includes the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Thursdays, as well as Tuesdays in the second half of the season, a majority of games during the NBA Playoffs, and one conference finals series.
TNT airs many of the NBA’s marquee games. In recent years, fans have reckoned it as what NBC was during that network’s initial run with the NBA in the 1990s: a consistent source for top-notch matchups every night, featuring star players. TNT would start its regular season telecasts with a doubleheader on Tuesday nights, followed by another doubleheader on Thursday nights. TNT also airs clips from inside “the honeycomb”, which is a camera angle above and behind each basket just above rim level.
In addition to regular-season games, TNT also airs live coverage of the NBA All-Star Game each February as well as live coverage of 1 or 2 playoff rounds prior to exclusive rights shifting over to ESPN starting with The Conference Finals.
NBA on ABC
The ABC network has been the home of the NBA Finals since 1965, and they will continue to be the primary broadcaster of the NBA Finals through 2032. ABC also airs some of the most popular regular season games, Christmas Day games, and All-Star Weekend.
ABC
The NBA on ABC is a presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games produced by ESPN, and televised on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). ABC originally broadcast NBA games from 1965 to 1973. In 2002, NBA games returned to the network as part of a contract signed with the league, along with ESPN.
ABC aired select Saturday regular season NBA telecasts as well as playoff games. The network also aired the NBA Finals live for the first time in 2003, continuing to do so through the 2016 Finals. Starting with the 2017–18 season, ABC airs up to five games each Saturday during the regular season, as well as some playoff games; ESPN airs the remainder of the Saturday schedule, along with most weekday games during the season.
As of 2019–20, ABC is scheduled to air 107 regular season telecasts and 19 playoff games.
ESPN
ESPN is the exclusive home of the NBA on cable TV. You can find ESPN by searching for it in your cable or satellite TV package, or by checking your local listings.
ESPN offers a variety of NBA programming, including live game coverage, highlights, analysis, and more. You can also find NBA content on ESPN’s digital platforms, including ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
NBA on NBC
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The NBA on NBC is the branding formerly used for presentations of NBA telecasts on the NBC television network. NBC first televised NBA games on February 21, 1953. On that date, NBC aired the triple-overtime game between the Milwaukee Hawks and the New York Knicks.
NBC
The NBA on NBC is the branding used for presentations of National Basketball Association (NBA) games produced by the NBC television network in the United States. NBC held broadcast rights from 1955 to 1962 and again from 1990 (when it obtained the rights from CBS) to 2002. During NBC’s partnership with the NBA in the 1990s, the network aired a weekly doubleheader known as NBA Showtime.
TNT
Every fan has their own way of keeping up with their favorite teams. For some, it’s just checking the score once in a while. For others, it’s religiously watching every game. No matter how you do it, though, you need to know what channel the NBA is on.
This year, the primary broadcaster for NBA games is TNT. That stands for Turner Network Television, and it’s a cable network owned by Turner Broadcasting System. It’s been around since 1988, and it originally aired movies and classic television shows. In recent years, though, it has become known as a go-to spot for live sports broadcasts.
In addition to TNT, there are also a handful of other channels that will occasionally broadcast NBA games. Those include ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV. So if you want to make sure you don’t miss any action, you should have all of those channels in your cable package.
You can also find games being broadcast on regional sports networks depending on where you live. For example, if you live in New York City, you might be able to find Knicks games being aired on MSG Network. Similarly, if you live in Los Angeles, you might be able to find Lakers games being aired on Spectrum SportsNet.
Of course, if you really want to make sure you never miss a game, there’s always the option of subscribing to NBA League Pass. That’s the league’s official streaming service, and it gives you access to every single game all season long. It’s not cheap—it costs $199 per year—but it is the best way to catch every single minute of action.
NBA on FOX
The National Basketball Association will be back on FOX this season, with games beginning on October 22nd. This will be the first time in 18 years that the NBA will be televised on FOX, as the network last held the rights to the NBA back in 2001.
FOX
FOX is an American broadcast network that is owned by the Fox Corporation. The network airs a variety of programming, including sports, entertainment, and news. NBA games air on the FOX network and its affiliated channels.
ESPN
ESPN is a cable channel that is part of the Walt Disney Company. It airs a variety of sports programming, including live and taped events. Its sister channels include ABC Sports and ESPN2.