After a lengthy lockout that threatened the entire season, the NBA is back in action! If you’re a basketball junkie and want to catch as many games as possible, the NBA League Pass is right up your alley. It provides a featured-packed mix of multimedia, stats and team coverage that’ll score big with most fans. Over the past few years, the number of providers carrying the channel has steadily grown — below is a quick rundown of how and where to watch all the action.
TV Broadcast
The popular choice for most subscribers, you can watch up to 40 games live per week (HD where available), get a breakdown via “Stats Central” (great for fantasy basketball) and, of course, get the latest news, scores and recap via NBA TV. Most broadcasts include the team’s local feed, so you’ll get a perspective and insight like never before. The only downside is the unrelenting hometown bias you’ll have to put up with. 🙂
Broadband Internet
In addition to the live games on TV, you’ll also get free access to all the action on the internet. Specifically, 720p HD, live game stats, 4 simultaneous games on your computer and full season archives (helpful if you miss a few days or a full week). With a med/large computer monitor or by outputting the signal to your HD TV, you won’t be left disappointed with the quality. Of course, the faster your internet connection the better, but even minimal cable or DSL speeds will get the job done.
Mobile Access
Watching NBA games via your smart phone or tablet device will be easier than ever this year. You’ll get a real-time stats overlay window as you watch your game live via, at minimum, a 3G or WIFI connection (the EDGE network won’t cut it). Their signal has been made quite a bit more efficient than years past, so you’ll get more action and much less (or no) buffering.
Provider-wise, you can subscribe via satellite TV (more below), cable or telco. Nearly every provider is offering the channel for a one-time payment of $169 or four payments of $42.25. As the season edges towards the midway point, expect a sizable reduction in cost. Currently-partnered cable providers include Comcast, COX, Cablevision, RCN and Time Warner. For telco, you’ll find it on AT&T and Verizon FIOS.
NBA League Pass on DIRECTV and DISH
If you’re already a satellite TV subscriber and would like to immediately order, simply give customer service a ring or add it to your package online. If you’re not sure, a free preview is available through 1/8/12 – plenty of time to watch a good chunk of the season before you make a decision.
If you’re not a satellite TV subscriber, check out these dish tv specials for the best offers currently available. If you’re leaning towards DIRECTV (which also exclusively has the NFL Sunday Ticket), have a look at the latest directv specials.
So, whether you subscribe or just want to enjoy some extra games during the preview, enjoy another exciting season of NBA ball. The MAVS finally broke through last year, but this preseason has been chalk-full of major trades and near misses (Chris Paul anyone?) – who’s your favorite?!
