Watch NBA Christmas Day games 2019 live and for free
It's the biggest day of the NBA season so far. Here's how to watch the NBA Christmas Day games.
For years now the NBA has held games on Christmas Day. While it might seem unusual to us Australians, those in the States can't get enough of it. The NBA typically puts its biggest matchups on Christmas Day and this year is no different.
Now, obviously, the first thing to get your head around is the time difference. While it's still referred to as NBA Christmas Day in Australia, the games actually don't take place until Boxing Day for Aussies.
All games are broadcast back-to-back, which means that you get over 10 hours straight of basketball. Games are available via ESPN and there's no way around this unless you're an NBA League Pass subscriber.
NBA Christmas Day schedule
| Date | Match | Time (AEDT) | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 26 December | Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans | 4:00 AM | NBA League Pass, Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Fetch TV |
| Saturday, 26 December | Milwaukee Bucks vs Golden State Warrriors | 6:30 AM | NBA League Pass, Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Fetch TV |
| Saturday, 26 December | Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets | 9:00 AM | NBA League Pass, Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Fetch TV |
| Saturday, 26 December | LA Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks | 12:00 PM | NBA League Pass, Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Fetch TV |
| Saturday, 26 December | Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers | 2:30 PM | NBA League Pass, Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Fetch TV |
How to watch NBA Christmas Day games
As we mentioned earlier, all NBA Christmas Day games are on ESPN. In short, this means that you can't watch without having a subscription to a paid service. In Australia, ESPN is broadcast on Kayo Sports, Foxtel and Fetch TV.
NBA League Pass is the outlier in this situation. Those who fork out $300 a year for the service get access to every single game over the season. Also you should note SBS doesn't have the rights to any of these games.
Stream NBA Christmas Day games on Kayo Sports
Out of Kayo Sports, Foxtel and Fetch TV, Kayo Sports is not only the easiest to get set up, but it also offers the most to sports fans. Kayo offers over 50 sports in total, with up to 7 live NBA games per week.
Kayo offers all new customers a 14-day free trial, which means you can catch the NBA Christmas Day games for free.
What makes Kayo unique are its special viewing features. For example, you can use SplitView to watch up to four sports at once, which could be particularly handy in this situation given how many sports are playing on Boxing Day.
Plus, if you're still sleeping off a few too many beverages or the Christmas ham, Kayo offers catch-up TV features as well. You can choose to jump in from the start of the game or watch it live. Then there's also a Key Moments timeline which picks out the best bits of the game and plays them in a quick 20-minute round-up.
Kayo can be watched from iOS and Android devices. You can also watch Kayo on the big screen through Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV, Samsung TV (2018 models and later), Chromecast and AirPlay. You can also watch on the website via a Mac or PC.
After the free trial period is over, you can continue your subscription for $25/month. There's also an option for $35/month which gives you access to three simultaneous streams rather than just two. Check out our Kayo Sports review for more information.
Stream Kayo FREE for 7 days
NBA Christmas Day history
The NBA first began playing on Christmas Day way back in 1947. The league has continued to play every Christmas Day since except for 1998 due to a lockout. This season marks the first time since 2015 that the New York Knicks have been left off the schedule.
The record for points scored on Christmas Day belongs to Bernard King with 60 points. It's a historic feat that's stood for 35 years, but may finally be broken by Rockets' scoring machine James Harden.
Image source: Kayo Sports website
