How to watch 2019-20 NBL basketball: Live stream TV guide
The National Basketball League, or NBL, is about to tip-off for another huge season. You can watch a live stream of every game in Australia; here's your complete guide.
The 2019/20 NBL season is just around the corner, with Round 1 scheduled to kick off on 3 October. The first game will see defending champions Melbourne United face off with newcomers South East Melbourne Phoenix, in a Melbourne derby dubbed as the 'Throwdown'. Basketball fans will also be able to enjoy a Grand Final rematch between the Perth Wildcats and United on 5 October, in what's shaping up to be quite the explosive opening round.
The regular season of the NBL - more formally known as the National Basketball League - will last until February 2020, and we have the full NBL fixtures schedule and team guide for you. We then see the top four teams advancing to the finals series. There are currently nine teams competing in the NBL, eight from Australia and one from New Zealand. And with a new broadcasting deal available for the new season, it will be easier than ever to root for your favourites.
Where to watch NBL online from Australia?
Starting with the 2019/20 NBL season, SBS will broadcast 67 games (up to four matches a round) on SBS Viceland. The remaining 59 games will air on ESPN, which is available via Kayo Sports, Foxtel IQ, Foxtel Now, and Fetch TV. All finals will be simulcast on both networks. Or, you can get an NBL TV subscription and stream all the action online. Here's how to keep up.
| Store | Discount | |
|---|---|---|
|
Stream Kayo Sports for 14 days FREE and no-lock-in contract Take Kayo Sports' Basic or Premium plan for a spin and stream over 50 sports live completely free for 14 days. Last verified |
Get deal |
Stream NBL games with Kayo Sports
Kayo Sports offers coverage of over 50 sports from all over the world, with content from ESPN included in the mix. Hence, you can stream NBL games on Kayo Sports with minimal hassle, as well as enjoy every match of the FIBA Cup live and on demand, plus an average of seven games live per week during the regular season of the NBA and every game of the NBA finals. In other words, there's plenty of content for basketball fans to stream.
A Basic Kayo Sports subscription costs $25/month and lets you watch on two screens at the same time. Or, you can get a Premium subscription and watch on three screens simultaneously. Either way, new subscribers get a 14-day free trial.
Besides the generous content library, Kayo Sports boasts excellent features that are built with sports streaming in mind. You can watch up to four videos on the same screen with SplitView, explore a fascinating world of statistics with Interactive Stats, or hide scores when you're running late with the No Spoilers setting. For those short on time, Key Moments lets you jump right to the action that matters in selected matchups, while Kayo Mini delivers all the highlights from selected games in 20 minutes or less. Read more about everything the service offers in our in-depth Kayo Sports review.
The online platform is available via web on PCs/Macs, or you can download the app on your smartphone/tablet and watch on the go. Kayo Sports is also compatible with Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Telstra TV.
Watch NBL games with Foxtel
ESPN is included in Foxtel IQ subscriptions with the Sports channel pack, so you can watch on TV or stream games on the go with the Foxtel Go app. The app is free for all Foxtel subscribers. You can also stream with the WatchESPN app, free for Foxtel users with the Sports pack.
The Sports channel pack from Foxtel generally costs $29/month, on top of the base Entertainment pack. Subscribers get access to 12 sports channels, as well the iQ4, an advanced set top box that lets you record live TV and watch content in 4K. For the latter you'll also need to purchase the Foxtel HD experience for an extra $10/month. However, Foxtel IQ deals are always available, so you can save on fees and score discounts when bundling multiple channel packs.
Stream NBL games with Foxtel Now
Basketball fans can also stream ESPN with Foxtel Now. The channel is included in the Sports pack, priced at $29/month. This is a Premium offering, so you need to subscribe to Essentials as well to add Sports to your subscription. Essentials costs $25/month and offers a mix of Pop and Lifestyle channels.
Foxtel Now is compatible with PCs and Macs, or you can download the app to your smartphone/tablet. You can also watch on TV via Sony Android TVs, Chromecast/Airplay, PS4, Telstra TV, and the Foxtel Now Box. New subscribers get a 10-day free trial.
Watch NBL games with Fetch TV
ESPN is available on Fetch TV as well, as part of the Vibe channel pack. The pack costs only $6/month. Note: the total price of your subscription will vary based on whether you got your Fetch box through a broadband provider or bought it outright.
Watch NBL games free with SBS
Up to four games per round will be available on free-to-air TV, so you can tune in Saturdays and Sundays on SBS Viceland. You can also stream games on SBS On Demand for free. Check out the schedule below for more info on which games will be available on Viceland.
Stream NBL games with NBL TV
Through the magic of online streaming, Australian basketball fans can watch all the NBL they want, live and untethered from the living room couch, no TV required. Every steal, every assist, every dunk; with NBL TV, you'll never have to miss another shot.
What is NBL TV?
Available online through the NBL.tv website and through the NBL mobile app, NBL TV is a subscription streaming service dedicated to covering all things basketball here in Australia. In addition to streaming every NBL game live to subscribers, the service offers the latest news, statistics, team rankings, and video highlights from the current NBL season, all available from your phone or Internet-capable device.
How do I sign up for NBL TV and what does it get me?
To enjoy the wealth of basketball coverage NBL TV has to offer, you'll need to sign up for an NBL TV subscription. All Access Pass gets you access to live streams of every NBL game, regardless of what teams are playing. It also scores you access to the NBL video archives, chronicling over 300 hours of the biggest games from NBL history.
Furthermore, you'll be able to stream NBL TV from anywhere in the world except for New Zealand since contractual obligations prevent NBL TV from being accessible there.
How much does NBL TV cost?
For the league-wide coverage provided by the All Access Pass, you'll need to shell out $5.00/month. It's also important to note that NBL TV subscriptions auto-renew unless you explicitly opt out, so make sure to change your settings if you don't want to be charged indefinitely.
What devices are compatible with NBL TV?
Whether at home or on the go, there are plenty of ways to watch NBL TV. If you're out and about, the NBL app for Android and Apple devices is your best bet. The Android app supports phones and tablets running Android 4.1 or higher, and the iOS app supports iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches running iOS 8.0 or higher.
At home, you can access NBL TV through Windows and Mac devices by logging into the NBL.tv website. A modern web browser is necessary for watching live streams and video highlights.
If you want to watch the game on your TV, the NBL mobile apps support screen mirroring to Apple TV devices through Apple AirPlay.
Best of all, NBL TV supports an unlimited number of devices linked to a single NBL TV subscription. This means you are free to share your account with friends and family with everyone able to watch live matches. However, NBL can suspend your account if it detests abusive use, so make sure to only watch on 2 maximum devices at the same time. Stream the latest matches with NBL TV. Plus, catch up on news, stats and scores with notifications directly to your device. 
Official NBL app from iTunes Store
How much data does NBL TV use?
Streaming live matches and video highlights through the NBL TV app can chew through quite a bit of data, and if you're watching on the go, it's important to be aware of the toll it'll take on your monthly data cap. Since NBL TV uses an adaptive bitrate streaming algorithm, the amount of data used depends on the speed of your connection and the size of your device's screen. As a guide, streaming a 40-minute NBL match to a phone typically uses around 500MB of data.
Latest streaming news
Disney+ review: Is it any good?
It's the most anticipated launch in the Australian streaming TV space for years, but is Disney+ any good? It's Finder's Disney+ review. Read more…
How Disney+ launch impacts Foxtel and Stan in Australia
How has the launch of Disney+ in Australia impacted rival streaming TV giants Stan and Foxtel Now? Well, significantly… Read more…
See Australia’s full Disney+ launch line-up
Disney+ Australia has launched! Here's the entire launch catalogue. Read more…
Disney+ Australia: Price, release date and content
How Disney’s streaming service works and everything you can watch using it. Read more…
How to get Disney+ in Australia
Australia's newest streaming service is live, here's how to check it out for free. Read more…
Disney+ voucher codes November 2019: 7-day free trial
Want to save on Disney+ Australia's streaming service? Look no further! Read more…
Picture: Kayosports website
