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Christmas just doesn’t mean eating unwrapping gifts with family and friends. For basketball fans, it’s all about watching the NBA all day long.
On Christmas Day (Dec. 25), there are five high-flying games on the schedule with top-off at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. For those who want to cut the cord, the easiest way to watch all of the Christmas NBA games is with an internet-based cable TV streaming service such as DirecTV Stream, Fubo or Hulu + Live TV. Scroll down to find out where to watch all of the NBA games on cable and how to stream them online (including for free) in and outside of the U.S., plus where to find last-minute tickets to see the action in person.
Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks
NBA Christmas Day tips off with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. Tipoff time is at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets
Next, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will battle Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver at 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers
The third game is Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics going up against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in LA. Game time is 2 pm PT/5 pm ET on ABC and ESPN.
Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat
In primetime, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers face Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center in Miami at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
The last game of Christmas Day is Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks playing Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix at 7: 30p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cord cutters can watch all of the NBA Christmas Day games on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC and ESPN, such as DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and others. DirecTV Stream and Fubo have free trials that you can use to live stream all of the NBA Christmas Day games without cable.
All web-based services are accessible on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Keep reading to find out how to watch all of the NBA games on Christmas Day with and without a cable subscription, including options to watch NBA games for free. Additionally, you can find where to buy last-minute tickets to all of the NBA Christmas Day games.
How to Watch the NBA on Christmas Day Without Cable
Since the games are being broadcast across ABC and ESPN, the NBA Christmas Day games can also be streamed on internet-based streaming cable services, some of which even offer free trials. If you act fast and sign up before Monday, you can watch all of the NBA games online for free.
DirecTV Stream
Watch ABC and ESPN with DirecTV Stream. The cable alternative’s packages offer NBC, along with more than 75 other channels — such as NBC, Fox, CBS, AMC, Bravo, CNBC, Disney Channel and much more.
The streamer also has a free five-day trial available, but that’s more than enough time to watch the NBA on Christmas Day. Afterward, you can either cancel the service or keep watching, with prices starting as low as $69.99 for the entry-level entertainment package. Other plans offer more than 105-150 channels, with prices ranging from $84.99 to $159.99 per month.
For a limited time, new subscribers can get a Visa gift card worth up to $400; learn more here.
Fubo
Watch ABC and ESPN, as well as more than 170 other news, entertainment and sports channels with a subscription to Fubo — which starts at $54.99 per month for the first two months of service (reg. $74.99 per month). In addition, you can record more than 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more, so you can even watch later on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Meanwhile, other packages offer 254 channels for the Elite package for $64.99 per month for the first two months of service (reg. $84.99 per month), along with 298 channels, Showtime and 4K quality for the Premiere package for $74.99 monthly for two months (reg. $94.99 monthly).
The online TV streaming service also offers a five-day trial for new subscribers, so you can watch NBA on Christmas Day online for free during that time.
Hulu + Live TV
To watch ABC and ESPN, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV is another fantastic option. The streaming service has access to more than 90 live channels — like BET, CNN, Food Network and more — starting at $76.99 per month and comes with Hulu’s entire streaming library, as well as Disney+ and ESPN+.
In addition to live TV, Hulu + Live TV lets subscribers watch originals from Hulu, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm (Star Wars), The Muppets Studio and Pixar, as well as ESPN+ for original sports programming and live sports from Formula 1, UFC, NHL and other sports leagues. It includes unlimited cloud DVR, too. Unfortunately, Hulu doesn’t offer a free trial at this time.
Sling
Sling is one of the cheapest options for new live TV streaming subscribers who want to watch the NBA on Christmas Day games on ESPN and ESPN3 (for ABC’s simulcast) and NBA League Pass (which comes with NBA TV). The Sling Orange plan is only $20 per month for the first month ($40 per month afterwards) and includes both cable networks.
Additionally, NBA League Pass can be added on to the plan for an additional $14.99 per month. In fact, you can get five months of Sling Orange + NBA League Pass starting at $215 prepaid.
Sling Orange also features Disney Channel, Freeform, TBS, Bravo, MSNBC and much more.
How to watch the NBA on Christmas Day Outside of the U.S.
Outside of the U.S.? You can still stream the NBA on Christmas Day games with any of the above streaming services paired with ExpressVPN. It’s a virtual private network that lets you legally access U.S. web servers — even if you’re in another country — to stream games on a smartphone, tablet, laptop and smart TV. Learn more about ExpressVPN here.
How to Watch the NBA on Christmas Day With Cable
The NBA on Christmas Day games will air on the broadcast network ABC and cable network ESPN. You can watch through your cable TV provider, or on the networks’ websites, ABC.com and ESPN.com, with your cable TV account login.
Where to Buy NBA on Christmas Day Game Tickets Online
Want to catch all of the hoops action in person? Ahead, you’ll find tickets for the NBA on Christmas Day games. Ticket prices vary, depending on the city you pick and where you’d like to sit in the arenas. Check out Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats, StubHub, Gametime, Ticket Liquidator and Ticket Network, as well as NBA.com for more info.
Meanwhile, one of the best deals on NBA tickets can be found at SeatGeek; use THR‘s exclusive promo code HOLLYWOOD10 to save $10 off eligible purchases of $250 and up.