All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
Basketball fans everywhere will be gearing up for the NBA playoffs starting April 19th, 2025. Whether you live in the U.S., plan to watch from abroad, or will be traveling during the end of the season, you may be wondering how you can watch the NBA playoffs from anywhere. Cable subscribers can just flick the channel to ABC, ESPN, TNT, or NBA TV, but cord-cutters may need a different way to watch.
Various streaming services like Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Max all offer NBA playoff games on their respective platforms, but which will be the best for you? And what do you do if you’re geo-restricted from any platform?
Here, we’ll give you options to watch from anywhere worldwide and some helpful tips on beating geo-restrictions. Read on to learn how to watch the NBA playoffs from anywhere.
Stream live sports, news, and entertainment; save potentially hundreds per year versus competitors1
400+ free live TV channels
Record and save live TV
Save up to $27.50 on your first month
Streaming makes watching sports live so much more accessible, but deciding which streaming service is right for you may come down to price and features.
Sling TV is the most affordable option for budget-conscious viewers, while services like Hulu + Live TV can give you access to the services you may have missed since ditching cable. Check out our top streaming service recommendations below.
| Platform | Price | Channels |
| Sling TV | $23.00/mo | Sling Orange, Sling Orange + NBA League Pass, Sling Orange + Sports Extra |
| Hulu + Live TV | $82.99/mo | TNT, TruTV, ABC, ESPN, and more, but blackouts depend on your region |
| YouTube TV | $59.99/mo (first two months) | ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT, and more |
| FuboTV | $19.99/mo | Playoff Central |
| DirecTV Stream | $15.00/mo | Choice plan includes specialty sports channels like NBA TV and regional sports networks |
| Max | $16.99/mo | Standard and Premium plans include live sports and TNT |
Sling TV is the most economical option for watching the NBA and offers three plans: Orange, Blue, and Orange + Blue. Channels and viewing options are split between the different plans, with the Orange + Blue option offering the most. Anyone wanting to watch the NBA playoffs will need at least the Orange option to watch.
Stream live sports, news, and entertainment; save potentially hundreds per year versus competitors1
400+ free live TV channels
Record and save live TV
Save up to $27.50 on your first month
There are legal ways to watch the NBA playoffs in the U.K. — in the form of the NBA League Pass or Discovery+ with TNT Sports. These streaming platforms have the rights to broadcast the NBA in the United Kingdom.
| Platform | Price | Channels |
| NBA League Pass | £16.99/mo | N/A |
| TNT Sports & Discovery+ | £20/mo | TNT Sports |
The easiest and best way to stream the NBA playoffs in Canada is either through the TSN App or Sportsnet Now.
| Platform | Price | Channels |
| TSN app | $19.99/mo | App |
| Sportsnet Now | $24.99/mo | App |
If you are locked out of watching the NBA playoffs because of geo-restrictions, a quality VPN can help you mask your location. VPNs can change your IP address so you appear to be somewhere you aren’t, like in the United States, to watch the NBA playoffs.
NordVPN is a top choice, as it includes several extras like Threat Protection and a dedicated IP address, to name a few. It’s also fast and reliable, providing users with quality protection and performance.
/images/2022/05/26/logo-nordvpn.png){kind=logo}
#1 rated VPN with over 7,000 ultra-secure, high-speed servers in 118 countries
Reliably unblock popular streaming services like Netflix with a single click
Excellent all-in-one security product with antivirus, ad blocker, password manager, and more
The NBA regular season ends on April 13, quickly followed by the NBA playoffs on April 19, 2025. The Conference semifinals tentatively begin May 5th - 6th.
| Conference | NBA playoff games | 2025 Dates (All times Eastern) | Channel |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 1 | May 20th @ 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 1 | May 21st @ 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 2 | May 22nd @ 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 2 | May 23rd @ 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 3 | May 24th @ 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 3 | May 25th @ 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 4 | May 26th @ 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 4 | May 27th @ 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 5 | May 28th @ 8:30 p.m. (if necessary) | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 5 | May 29th @ 8 p.m. (if necessary) | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 6 | May 30th @ 8:30 p.m. (if necessary) | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 6 | May 31st @ 8 p.m. (if necessary) | TNT |
| Western Conference Finals | Game 7 | June 1st @ 8 p.m. (if necessary) | ESPN |
| Eastern Conference Finals | Game 7 | June 2nd @ 8 p.m. (if necessary) | TNT |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 5th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 8th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 11th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 13th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 16th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 19th @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC | |
| NBA Finals 2025 | June 22nd @ TBD | Presented by YouTube TV on ABC |
The 2024-25 NBA season kicked off in October 2024 and runs through April 2025. There are 82 games and 30 participating teams.
Use our directory below to catch all NBA games across the country this season.
In the U.S., the best streaming service to watch the NBA is Sling TV because of its package pricing and accessibility. Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Max also carry the NBA playoff games.
You do not need ESPN+ to watch the NBA playoffs if you have a streaming service like Sling or Hulu + Live TV, as well as the others mentioned above. If you want ESPN+, you can also watch the NCAA games along with the NBA playoffs.
You can purchase an additional NBA League Pass subscription through Amazon Prime Video to watch the NBA playoffs.
You can stream the NBA playoffs on Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Max.
You can watch NBA games on several streaming platforms, including Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Max. You can stream the NBA playoff games right through to the Finals on all of these platforms without signing up for an additional subscription to a specific channel.
For anyone not located in a geographical area that gets the games, the best VPNs can help you catch every NBA buzz beater live.
The NBA playoff games start April 19th, so getting your subscriptions and software together now will give you time to ensure uninterrupted access to your favorite teams.
Stream live sports, news, and entertainment; save potentially hundreds per year versus competitors1
400+ free live TV channels
Record and save live TV
Save up to $27.50 on your first month
/images/2024/07/12/how_to_watch_cable_tv_featured_image.png)
/images/2024/07/22/how_to_watch_espn_featured_image.png)
/images/2025/04/03/closeup_of_a_hockey_puck_hurling_forward.jpg)
/images/2025/04/03/basketball_swishing_net_in_full_stadium.jpg)
/images/2024/12/15/how_to_watch_the_australian_open.jpg)
/images/2024/12/06/how_to_watch_elvis_christmas_special.jpg)
/images/2024/12/04/how_to_watch_the__star_wars_holiday_special_.jpg)
/images/2024/12/04/how_to_watch_the_peanuts_holiday_collection.jpg)
/authors/mary-james_allaboutcookies-author.jpg){kind=small}
/authors/kate_quinlan_headshot_april_2024.png){kind=small}
/images/2024/09/19/high_res_sling.png)
/authors/mary-james_allaboutcookies-author.jpg)