Why Your Own Team Is the Hardest One to Watch
The NBA sells its rights in two separate layers, and that's what makes following a team confusing. A handful of nationally televised games each week belong to the national broadcast partners. Everything else — the bulk of an 82-game schedule — belongs to the regional sports network in that team's home market.
League Pass sits on top of both, and this is the part that catches people out: it is an out-of-market product by design. It's built for a Celtics fan living in Phoenix, not for a Celtics fan living in Boston. If you subscribe in your own team's market, their games are blacked out on it, because the regional network already holds those rights locally.
This guide sets out which layer carries which games, what each legitimate route costs, and how the blackout rules actually work — so you can work out the cheapest way to watch the games you actually care about.
Who Broadcasts Each Game
Local Team Games
Regional Sports NetworkThe large majority of a team's 82 games air on the RSN for their home market. This is the layer that decides whether you can watch your own team, and it's the one League Pass does not include.
How to watch: Via a cable or streaming TV package that carries your local RSN
National Games
National Broadcast PartnersA selected slate each week is shown nationwide across the league's national partners. Because these are national, market restrictions don't apply — but they're also blacked out on League Pass for exactly that reason.
How to watch: Included with most cable and streaming TV packages
Out-of-Market Games
NBA League PassGames involving teams outside your local market. This is the specific gap League Pass exists to fill, and the reason it isn't a cable replacement.
How to watch: Sold as a season-long or monthly add-on (see costs below)
Play-In & Playoffs
National Broadcast PartnersThe postseason moves off the regional networks entirely and onto the national partners, which is why the playoffs are far easier to follow than the regular season.
How to watch: Included with a TV package; some rounds air free over the air
NBA Finals
Free-to-Air NetworkThe championship series airs on a free-to-air broadcast network, so an antenna is generally enough to watch it.
How to watch: Free over the air with an antenna
All-Star Weekend & Draft
National Broadcast PartnersThe All-Star events, the Draft and Summer League are all national broadcasts, with no market restrictions.
How to watch: Included with a TV package
How NBA Blackouts Actually Work
Almost every complaint about NBA blackouts comes down to one misunderstanding: League Pass is not a way to watch your own team. Here's what each restriction really is, and the legitimate route around it.
Your local team is blacked out on League Pass
Why it happens: Your regional sports network holds the local rights to those games, so League Pass can't sell them to you in that market.
The route that works: A TV package that carries your local RSN is the route the league intends for in-market fans.
Nationally televised games are blacked out on League Pass
Why it happens: When a game is picked up as a national broadcast, that partner holds it exclusively for the night.
The route that works: Those games are on the national partners, which most cable and streaming TV packages already include.
League Pass is only useful out-of-market
Why it happens: It was built for fans following a team from another market — that's the product, not a fault in it.
The route that works: If you live in your team's market, League Pass is the wrong purchase; the RSN is what you need.
What Each Route Actually Costs
The maths is worth doing before you subscribe to anything, because the cheapest route depends entirely on whether the team you follow is local to you.
| Route | Cost | What it gets you | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antenna only | ~$0 | The Finals and some national games on free-to-air | One-off cost for the antenna |
| NBA League Pass | ~$199/season | Out-of-market games only | Local and national games are blacked out |
| Streaming TV package | ~$73–$83/month | National games, plus your local team if it carries your RSN | Check the RSN is included before subscribing |
| Cable + League Pass | $2,000+/year | Local, national and out-of-market | Usually a contract; the most expensive route |
What LunoTV Is (and Isn't)
An entertainment service
LunoTV is a subscription entertainment platform with a large on-demand library of films and series. It is not an NBA package, does not include League Pass, and is not a substitute for the broadcasters above.
4K-capable playback
Streams are delivered at up to 4K Ultra HD where the source supports it, on a player built for stable, high-bitrate viewing.
Anti-freeze delivery
Our own buffering-reduction layer keeps playback steady when a home connection dips — the thing that actually ruins an evening's viewing.
Works on your devices
Fire Stick, Smart TVs, Android, iPhone, Apple TV and computers, with setup guides for each. Nothing to install on a PC.
EPG & catch-up
A full electronic program guide so you can see what's on and when, plus catch-up on supported content.
24/7 support
Real people, 5 Minutes to first response, every day of the week.
NBA Viewing FAQ
What channel is the NBA game on tonight?
It depends on the game. A team's regular-season games are usually on the regional sports network for their home market, while a selected slate each week airs nationally across the league's national broadcast partners. The NBA publishes the night-by-night schedule and broadcaster on NBA.com.
Why is my local NBA team blacked out on League Pass?
Because League Pass is an out-of-market product. Your regional sports network holds the local rights to your team's games, so the league can't sell them to you again through League Pass in that market. If you live in your team's market, a TV package carrying your RSN is the route that actually works.
How much does NBA League Pass cost?
Around $199 for the season for the standard tier, with a premium tier at roughly $230. Worth being clear about what that buys: out-of-market games only — local and nationally televised games are blacked out on it.
Can I watch the NBA Finals for free?
Usually yes. The Finals air on a free-to-air broadcast network, so an antenna is generally enough. Much of the earlier postseason sits on cable networks instead.
What's the cheapest way to follow one NBA team?
It depends on where you live. If the team is local, a streaming TV package that carries your regional sports network is normally cheapest. If you're following a team from another market, that's the case League Pass was built for.
Does LunoTV include NBA games?
No. LunoTV is an entertainment subscription with an on-demand film and series library — it isn't an NBA package, doesn't include League Pass, and doesn't replace the broadcasters listed above. For NBA games, use the official routes in this guide.
The Short Version
Which NBA route is right for you comes down to one question: is the team you follow local to you? If it is, what you need is a TV package that carries your regional sports network — League Pass will black those games out, because it was never built for in-market fans.
If you follow a team from another market, League Pass is exactly the product for that, and the postseason is easier either way: the playoffs move onto the national partners, and the Finals air free over the air.
For the full night-by-night schedule and who's showing each game, NBA.com is the authority.
Related Viewing Guides
- How to watch the NFL in 2026 — networks, blackout rules and what Sunday Ticket really costs.
- Sports viewing guides — the rest of our how-to-watch explainers.
- Cutting the cord — working out what you actually watch before you cancel.
Official NBA Resources
For the official schedule, standings and which broadcaster has each game, seeNBA.com. For NBA news, scores and analysis, seeESPN NBA Coverage. For out-of-market games, the official package isNBA League Pass.