The 2025-26 NBA season has tipped off as of October 22 and along with a whole heap of stars in new colours – Kevin Durant plays for the Rockets now?! – there’s also a bunch of new ways to watch.
That’s because the NBA recently began a new media partnership in the US with Disney (ESPN), Amazon and NBC/Peacock. This has changed where fan-favourite shows like Inside the NBA land and means a shake-up for how we watch games in Australia.
So, whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, we’ve got the ultimate guide on how to watch all the on-court NBA action live this season.
The NBA season ahead
The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the reigning MVP, are looking to defend their first NBA championship. And, perhaps most importantly, Cooper Flagg begins his journey as the NBA’s #1 pick for the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Luka Dončić and the LA Lakers look to win a title in what could be LeBron James’ last season.
There’s also some excitement around New Media partners and the potential to change how the sport is spoken about. NBC’s new panel includes Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, while Prime Video’s commentary will be headed by Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade.
The question is, what’s the best way for you to watch? This guide will help you answer that question and get you ready for every buzzer-beater and fastbreak of the 2025-26 NBA season in Australia.
How to watch the NBA in Australia
ESPN is the primary NBA rights holder, marking its claim as the home of hoops with its 11-year extension with the NBA and WNBA. You can watch ESPN through quite a few different avenues in Australia, though. And it’s not even the only option this year, thanks to the addition of a new media partner in Amazon.
Here’s a quick breakdown of your top options, with more in-depth details below.
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AU$15.99 / AU$21.99 p/m |
80 regular season games (including Christmas Day) + NBA Finals + a massive pool of movies and TV |
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AU$30 / AU$40 p/m |
80 regular season games (including Christmas Day) + NBA Finals + other sports |
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AU$9.99 / AU$12.99 p/m |
66 regular-season games (including the in-season tournament’s knockout rounds) + SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament + a massive library of movies/TV |
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From AU$84 p/m |
80 regular season games (including Christmas Day) + NBA Finals + the option to enjoy other entertainment |
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NBA League Pass |
From AU$174.99 /season |
Every single NBA game |
It has everything Star Wars and Marvel fans could want. It’s also probably the best streaming service for kids, with Disney classics and Pixar films, and it has a regular influx of top-tier TV like Alien: Earth.
However, earlier this year Disney integrated ESPN into the Disney+ platform. This means that you’ll be able to watch every NBA game streamed on ESPN live on Disney+, with no added fees to enjoy your favourite sport.
You get everything that ESPN comes with, too – basically matching the American sport offering that you’ll find on Kayo Sports. That includes the MLB World Series that’s just about to begin at the time of writing, NFL matches, the College Football Playoffs and media shows like First Take and The Pat McAfee Show.
ESPN will air 80 NBA games this season, including the Christmas Day matches. It will also broadcast 18 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs and one conference finals series. Plus, it remains the exclusive home of the NBA Finals. All of this will be viewable as part of your Disney Plus subscription.
Kayo Sports is a must-have subscription for sport fans in Australia. While the rights to some events are owned by other channels (like the NRL Grand Final on Nine or English Premier League soccer on Stan Sport), Kayo likely has a steady stream of live content for you, no matter what sport you’re into.
However, when it comes to the NBA and American sports like the NFL and MLB, Kayo’s offering is no better than what you’ll find on Disney Plus, as they’re streamed via two ESPN channels. This means you’ll get the same access to the same 80 NBA games this season that you would through Disney Plus.
The difference is what surrounds your NBA viewing. Instead of Disney’s library of movies and TV shows, Kayo’s two ESPN channels are paired with eight live Fox sports channels, Racing.com, a Main Event UFC channel and a whole heap of sports-based entertainment like roundtable analysis and documentaries.
So, Kayo is likely the better option if you’re seriously into other sports – like the PGA Tour, MotoGP and The Ashes – and don’t mind flicking on random events like dart tournaments or extreme sports. That said, it’s important to note that Kayo costs almost twice the monthly cost of a premium Disney Plus subscription at AU$40 p/m.
The new kid on the block, Prime Video is another option for watching live NBA matches this year. While it doesn’t boast the same number of broadcast games as the NBA’s main partner ESPN, Prime subscribers will be able to watch 66 regular-season games. These games include the Knockout Rounds of the NBA’s in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup.
Importantly, Prime is the exclusive home for all six matches of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. This is the mini-series played out between teams who finish 7th to 10th, competing for a position in the playoffs. Prime Video will also broadcast around one-third of playoff games during the first two rounds.
At face value, this looks like the least comprehensive option of the three, as it provides fewer games. However, considering that the majority of those 80 ESPN games will take place at 11 am on a weekday, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to (or want to) watch all 80 games.
Where Prime really wins – especially for fans who aren’t as serious about watching the regular season – is in price. Even if you’re not already an Amazon Prime member, it costs only AU$9.99 per month to join. This makes Prime Video AU$6 p/m cheaper than a standard Disney Plus subscription. It also gives you access to exclusive deals on Amazon, as well as Prime Reading, Prime Music and Prime Gaming.
However, it is important to remember that ESPN (and ABC in the United States) has exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. They also have all the Christmas Day games – an entire day full of the best matchups. So, if you want to watch those big matches, you’ll have to subscribe to Disney Plus or Kayo for a month or two at least.
Other ways to watch
Foxtel Now
Foxtel Now offers the same sports package that you’d find on Kayo Sports. However, you also get everything else that comes with a regular physical Foxtel Box.
This can include movies, drama, kids’ content, and more. Right now, you can get 12 months of the Ultimate Bundle (Sports, Movies, Drama & more) for just AU$104 AU$65 p/m.
NBA League Pass
NBA League Pass is for the NBA addict. Offering two subscription tiers – AU$174.99 per season for access on one device or AU$229.99 per season for access on three devices, no ads and the ability to download.
The service lets you watch every minute of every game, regardless of the broadcast partner.
Full 2025-26 NBA Schedule
Note: These events take place one day later than they do in the United States. For example, NBA on Christmas Day takes place on Boxing Day in Australia, not December 25.
Oct. 22: NBA Opening Day
Oct. 28-Nov. 7: NBA G League Training Camp
Nov. 1: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – tips off on Prime Video
Nov. 7: Rosters set for NBA G League Opening Day
Nov. 8: NBA G League begins
Dec. 10-11: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 Knockout Rounds on Prime Video
Dec. 14: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 semi-finals on Prime Video
Dec. 17: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship on Prime Video
Dec. 20-23: NBA G League Winter Showcase
Dec. 26: NBA on Christmas Day (Cavs at Knicks | Spurs at Thunder | Mavs at Warriors | Rockets at Lakers | Wolves at Nuggets) on ESPN
Dec. 28: NBA G League 36-game regular season begins
Jan. 16: NBA Berlin Game 2026
Jan. 19: NBA London Game 2026
Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Bucks at Hawks | Thunder at Cavs | Mavs at Knicks | Celtics at Pistons)
Jan. 21-25: NBA Rivals Week
Feb. 2: NBA Pioneers Classic – Bucks at Celtics
Feb. 6: NBA Trade Deadline
Feb. 14-16: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles
April 1: 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin
April 13: Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 15-18: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 19: NBA Playoffs begin
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