The tide is nigh for all fans impatiently awaiting the NBA playoffs. The largest sports event to take place on the screens all across the U.S. — after the Super Bowl — has recently seen its begin on April 11 with the play-in tournament lasting until the 14th. From then onwards, the playoffs will finally get their kickstart, and the finals will soon follow for the upcoming months filled with action and plenty of undeniable talent gracing the biggest court in the world.
Unfortunately, as would happen with most events, the games are only accessible through their very specific sports-based platforms. On an even worse note, most of these platforms are — arguably — very expensive. With various prices ranging from $9.99 on Paramount Plus, to $74.99 on DirecTVStream, some options are just not viable, even for the most avid fans of the sport. Worry not, right before the playoffs reach your own court at home, here are a few ways to watch it all legally, and for free.
How can you watch the NBA playoffs for free?
There’s some good news and bad news for all NBA fans. The bad news, there are no legal and free sources to watch NBA on. The good news is, with a little organization, you will be able to catch every single game of the season by simply being smart about using the free trials. While it may take a bit of planning from your end, it is surely possible to watch all of the games for free, and here are all the platforms that allow you to have a free trial.
- DirecTV Stream — The Entertainment plan, which includes TBS, TNT, and TruTV has a monthly cost of a whopping $74.99. It also offers a five-day free trial where you can access all the channels.
- fuboTV— Like DirecTV, the Pro package also costs $74.99 a month, but you can enjoy a seven-day free trial.
- YouTube TV- At $72.99 per month after the current promotional period, with access to CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, Youtube TV also offers new subscribers a 14-day free trial of the basic package.
- NBA League Pass- With a monthly package that starts at $14.99, or alternatively, $19.99 for the Premium version, this streaming platform also includes a free seven-day trial period for new users.
- Paramount Plus – Although it only costs $9.99 a month, Paramount Plus still offers a seven-day free trial.
Altogether, all the free packages from each of these platforms make up for 40 total days where you can access them for free, without monetarily committing to any of them. By making the most of it, especially if you’re following just a specific team, anyone can surely watch most of the NBA games for entirely free. Be smart, and don’t forget to cancel your free subscriptions once they reach their end.