The 2025-26 NBA season kicks off on October 22, and with it comes a whole bunch of new stars – Kevin Durant is now playing for the Rockets?! – there are also many new ways to view.
That's because the NBA recently launched a new media partnership in the US with Disney (ESPN). Amazon and NBC/Peacock. That's changed for fan-favorite shows like Inside the NBA Land and means a shake-up in the way we watch games in Australia.
So, whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, we've got a complete guide on how to watch all the NBA action live on the court this season.
NBA season ahead
The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the reigning MVP, are looking to defend their first NBA title. And perhaps most importantly, Cooper Flagg begins his journey as the No. 1 player in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers hope to win a title in what could be LeBron James' last season.
There's also some excitement around New Media partners and the opportunity to change the way sports are talked about. NBC's new team includes Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, while the Prime Video commentary team will be led by Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade.
The question is, what's your best way to watch? This guide will help you answer that question and prepare for every big moment and fast break of the 2025-26 NBA season in Australia.
How to watch the NBA in Australia
ESPN is the primary rights holder of the NBA, claiming it to be the home of hoops through an 11-year extension with the NBA and WNBA. However, in Australia, you can watch ESPN on many different channels. And that's not even the only option this year thanks to the addition of a new media partner in Amazon.
Here's a quick overview of your best options, with more details below.
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AU$15.99 / AU$21.99 per month |
80 regular season games (including Christmas) + NBA Finals + tons of movies and TV shows. |
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AUD 30 / AUD 40 per month |
80 regular season games (including Christmas) + NBA Finals + other sports. |
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AU$9.99 / AU$12.99 per month |
66 regular season games (including season playoffs) + SoFi NBA Play-In tournament + huge library of movies and TV shows. |
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From AUD 84 per month |
80 regular season games (including Christmas Day) + NBA Finals + more entertainment options |
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NBA League Pass |
From A$174.99 per season. |
Every NBA game |
Everything is here Star wars and Marvel fans might want to. 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 shows like Alien: Earth.
However, earlier this year, Disney integrated ESPN into the Disney+ platform. This means you can watch every NBA game on ESPN live on Disney+ at no additional cost and enjoy the sport you love.
You also get everything ESPN has – mostly in line with the US sports offering you'll find on Kayo Sports. This includes the MLB World Series, which is about to begin at the time of writing, NFL games, the College Football Playoff, and media shows such as First Take and The Pat McAfee Show.
ESPN will broadcast 80 NBA games this season, including Christmas Day games. It will also broadcast 18 games from the first two rounds of the playoffs and one conference finals series. It also remains the exclusive venue for the NBA Finals. All of this can be viewed as part of your Disney Plus subscription.
Kayo Sports is a must-have subscription for sports fans in Australia. While some events are owned by other channels (eg the NRL Grand Final on Nine or Premier League football on Stan Sport), Kayo likely has a constant 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 air on two ESPN channels. This means you'll get the same access to the same 80 NBA games this season as you do through Disney Plus.
The difference is what surrounds you when watching the NBA. Instead of Disney's library of movies and TV shows, Kayo's two ESPN channels are combined with Fox's eight live sports channels, Racing.com, the UFC's Main Event channel and a whole bunch of sports entertainment like roundtable analysis and documentaries.
So Kayo is probably the best option if you're a serious fan of other sports like the PGA Tour, MotoGP and The Ashes, and don't mind including casual events like darts tournaments or extreme sports. However, it's important to note that Kayo costs almost double the monthly cost of a Disney Plus premium subscription at AU$40 per month.
New to the market, Prime Video is another option for watching NBA games live this year. While it doesn't boast the same amount of game coverage as major NBA partner ESPN, Prime subscribers will be able to watch 66 regular-season games. These games include the playoff rounds of the NBA season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup.
It is important to note that Prime is the exclusive venue for all six games of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. This is a mini-series featuring teams ranked 7th to 10th competing for a spot in the playoffs. Prime Video will also stream about a third of the playoff games during the first two rounds.
At first glance, this is the least comprehensive option of the three, as it provides fewer games. However, given that most of those 80 ESPN games will take place at 11 a.m. on a weekday, it's unlikely that you'll be able (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 yet an Amazon Prime member, it costs just AU$9.99 per month to join. This makes Prime Video AU$6 per month 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 US) have exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. They also have all the Christmas games – a whole day full of the best matches. So, if you want to watch these big matches, you'll have to subscribe to Disney Plus or Kayo for at least a month or two.
Other viewing methods
Foxtel now
Foxtel Now offers the same sports package as Kayo Sports. However, you also get everything else that comes with a regular physical Foxtel Box.
This could include movies, dramas, children's content, and more. Right now you can get 12 months Ultimate Bundle (Sports, Movies, Drama and More) for Just 104 Australian dollars AUD 65 per month.
NBA League Pass
NBA League Pass is for NBA fans. There are two subscription levels available: AU$174.99 per season for access on one device or AU$229.99 per season for access on three devices, ad-free and downloadable.
The service allows you to watch every minute of every game, regardless of the broadcast partner.
Full NBA schedule for the 2025-26 season.
Note: These events occur a day later than in the United States. For example, the NBA at Christmas takes place on Boxing Day in Australia, not December 25th.
October 22: NBA Opening Day
October 28-November. 7: NBA G League Training Camp
November 1: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – News on Prime VideO
November 7: NBA G League Opening Day Rosters
November 8: NBA G League starts
December 10–11: 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Playoffs on Prime Video
December 14: 2025 NBA Emirates Cup Semi-Finals on Prime Video
December 17: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship on Prime Video
December 20–23: NBA G League Winter Presentation
December 26: NBA at Christmas (Cavs at Knicks | Spurs at Thunder | Mavs at Warriors | Rockets at Lakers | Wolves at Nuggets) on ESPN
December 28: 36-game NBA G League regular season begins
January 16: NBA game in Berlin 2026
January 19: NBA game in London 2026
January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Bucks to Hawks | Thunder to Cavs | Mavs to Knicks | Celtics to Pistons)
January 21-25: NBA Rivals Week
February 2: NBA Pioneers Classic – Bucks at Celtics
February 6: NBA Trade Deadline
February 14-16: 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles
April 1: The 2026 NBA League playoffs begin.
April 13: End of the regular season (all 30 teams play)
April 15-18: SoFi NBA Gaming Tournament
April 19: NBA playoffs begin
