DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes ESPN (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA season including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

Here is everything you need to know about watching NBA games on one of the league's new partners throughout the 2025-26 season.

As one of two games scheduled, ESPN received its money's worth with the Oklahoma City Thunder's 141-135 2OT win over the Indiana Pacers. Billed as an NBA Finals rematch, most folks know that several of the characters from that epic seven-game duel were absent.