If you are a fan of basketball, the National Basketball Association has some great news for you. On Tuesday, November 5, the NBA is launching a direct to consumer streaming service for NBA TV that will allow fans without cable to catch their favorite teams in action while also enjoying the network’s original programming.
NBA TV will be available on a monthly or yearly subscription basis and will also feature an archive of classic games.
Fans who are interested in the NBA TV streaming service — which is managed by the NBA and Turner Sports — can choose from a $6.99 per month or $59.99 per year plan. You can watch on Apple or Roku TV and other mobile devices, along with accessing the platform on NBA.com.
“NBA TV is the ultimate destination for around-the-clock access to premium NBA games and programming,” Chris Benyarko, the NBA’s senior vice president, direct to consumer, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to offer more ways than ever to access NBA TV and provide a preview of the future live game viewing experience.”
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Part of the new offering will include enhanced viewing options for some games, including camera angles captured solely by smartphones, social media integration and live in-game chats with basketball influencers. There will also be alternative streaming options for some games, including stat overlays on the game feed or alternative audio options.
As the NBA continues to grow in popularity and people continue to cut the cord to ditch cable television in favor of streaming services, it is a logical step to keep their product accessible to the loyal audience.
After all, the NBA is massively popular among the younger demographics which have led the way when it comes to cord-cutting, so it makes perfect sense for the league to make their games available to a larger audience without isolating some of their strongest viewers.