Catch all the action at this year’s NBA playoffs with our guide.
NBA Playoffs – when and where
The first round of the NBA Playoffs starts today and there will be a total of four games played that day across the US and in Canada:
1. Spurs vs. Warriors starts at 3:00pm ET (7pm GMT, 12pm PST)
2. Wizards vs. Raptors starts at 5:30pm ET (9:30pm GMT, 3:30pm PST)
3. Heat vs. 76ers 8:00pm ET (12am GMT, 5pm PST)
4. Pelicans vs Trail Blazers 10:30PM ET (2:30am GMT, 7:30pm PST)
Today marks the start of 2018 NBA playoffs and 16 teams will be competing against one another for a spot in the SemiFinals and then the Conference Finals with the best-of-seven playoff scheduled to begin on May 31.
Broadcasting of the postseason tournament will be divided between ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV in the US which makes it difficult to stream the playoffs online. But don’t worry – wherever you are in the world, there’s a way to watch the games either online or on your television and we’ll show you how.
Whether you’re a fan of the Rockets or the Raptors we’ve got you covered.
Here is our quick and easy guide for how to watch the NBA playoffs online from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re in the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia or anywhere else with an Internet connection, we’ll help you tune in to all the action this postseason.
How to watch the NBA Playoffs for free in the US
If you live in the US, then ABC is your best option for watching the NBA playoffs for free though there are some caveats. ABC is only over-the-air network broadcasting the playoffs and they have exclusive rights to the NBA Finals so you won’t miss out when the Eastern and Western conferences face off in June.
Leading up to the Final you will be able to watch four games in the first round and possibly more if any of the matchups go to seven games. The network will also broadcast three games in the Semifinals but unfortunately since ESPN and TNT own the rights to the Conference Finals, you won’t be able to watch those games on TV. Fortunately though there are other ways to watch those games online. Until April 14th at 23:59, you will be able to get a free trial for NBA League Pass which will allow you to watch the first day of the Playoffs for free. How to watch every NBA Playoff Game in the US
When it comes to streaming basketball online our first choice is NBA.com. With the NBA League Pass you can watch hundreds of Live and On-Demand games on all of your favorite streaming devices including Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, Playstation and even on mobile.
With NBA League Pass you’ll be able to watch every game during the regular season (all 1,230 of them) and the playoffs, including all the finals games.
The service costs $39.99 a month or $199.99 for the year and there is also the less expensive Team Pass for $17.99 a month or $119.99 for the year if you just want to follow just one team. Empty list
How to watch the NBA Playoffs in the UK
If you’re in the UK and want to watch the NBA playoffs then a VPN is your best bet for catching all the games. Once you download and connect to a VPN you’ll have a number of options to watch the games including NBL League Pass, Sling TV, Playstation Vue, DirectTV Now and YouTubeTV.
1. Download and install a VPN If you don’t have easy access to watch the 2018 NBA playoffs online in your country, the best way to watch it for free is to download and install a VPN. We’ve tested all of the major VPN services and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services and ranks amongst the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation. So for a one-stop shop, you can’t go wrong with Express – but there are more fantastic VPN options out there as well:
The best 3 VPNs for streaming sports online 1. ExpressVPN: the best all-round VPN for streaming, comes with 30-day trial 2. NordVPN: SmartPlay tech makes NordVPN a great choice for streaming 3. VyprVPN: blazing speeds make VyprVPN a great choice for 4K video Read more: The best VPN services 2018
2. Connect to the appropriate server location Simply open the VPN app, hit ‘choose location’ and select the appropriate location – it’s super easy to do. Choose US to stream the 2018 NBA playoffs on NBA.com (use the links below).
3. Go to NBA.com
With NBA League Pass you’ll be able to watch every game this season including the postseason games and the finals. The service works on your laptop, computer, Chromecast, Xbox, Playstation, Apple TV, Roku and more! Until April 14th at 23:59, you will be able to get a free trial for NBA League Pass which will allow you to watch the first day of the Playoffs for free. Where can I watch the NBA Playoffs using a VPN
A VPN will enable you to watch the 2018 NBA playoffs from literally anywhere. So that obviously includes: Australia, Israel, Finland, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Romania, Mexico, Sweden, France, Ireland, Poland, South Africa, China, Japan, Russia, Italy and more! Other ways to watch the NBA Playoffs online
SlingTV $20 per month
With SlingTV’s $20-per-month Sling Orange package you get 30-plus channels, including ESPN and ESPN2 which will show 19 games throughout the first round and semifinals. You’ll also be able to watch the Eastern Conference Finals as ESPN holds the exclusive rights to those games. SlingTV will also give you access to TNT which will be broadcasting the NBA playoffs as well.
Sling TV is compatible with Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, Chromecast as well as lots of other devices and its easy to get started with a 7-day free trial .
Playstation Vue $44.99 per month
Playstation Vue is another option to watch the MLB playoffs and its basic Access package offers over 45 channels including ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2. The service provides top-notch streaming quality as well as unlimited cloud DVR storage so you’ll never miss a game. A 5-day trial to Playstation Vue is also available to help you get started and most of the popular streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast are supported.
DIRECTV NOW $50 per month
DirectTV Now offers many of the same channels as SlingTV and Playstation Vue including ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2 but it’s Just Right package also includes ESPNews as well as access to 80 other channels.
