It’s the most exhilarating time of the year for fans of the NBA, because the playoffs are in full swing and the NBA Finals are just around the corner.

The hoop clashes are whittling down the Best in the West already – with the LA Lakers crashing out early – while the rivalries of Eastern Conference teams like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks are intensifying on their coast.

The NBA Finals will begin on June 6 – and we’ve got the full lowdown on the ways you can watch every second of NBA playoff action in the UK and the US.

The best place to find dates, times and venues for weekly games is the NBA’s own scheduling hub, where you can also see where each game is being broadcast on TV locally or nationally in the US.

The scheduling hub has a handy guide to US radio coverage for each game, so if you’re on the go during tip-off, you won’t have to miss a single drive to the hoop on your commute.

If you’re in the US, it’s worth checking back regularly as you’ll be able to clarify whether a local game is being blacked out in your area.

Eastern and Western Conference playoff bracketing is available through the NBA’s dedicated portal right now. All results shown below are updated as of Wednesday, May 1.

In the East, the Boston Celtics have taken a commanding lead in their series against the Miami Heat (3-1), while the New York Knicks look to make a playoffs comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers (3-2).

Cleveland Cavaliers are leading their series against the Orlando Magic (3-2), while the Indiana Pacers could put away the Milwaukee Bucks with one more win in their series (3-2).

Out west, the Oklahoma City Thunder have already swept the New Orleans Pelicans (4-0), and the Minnesota Timberwolves made short work of the Phoenix Suns in a sweep of their own (4-0).

LeBron James is fielding questions about his NBA future following his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets (1-4).

The Lakers’ cross-town rivals the LA Clippers are still hanging on, in a series with the Dallas Mavericks that’s tied 2-2.

The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 6, where the Eastern and Western Conference champions will play each other seven times, with the side triumphant in most games declared overall league champions.

The Finals will be followed only a few weeks later by the NBA Draft, which starts on June 26 with the First Round and June 27 for the Second Round.

Fans in Europe may want to mark their calendars now because next season’s NBA Paris games have already been scheduled for January 23, 2025, and January 25, 2025 – pitting the San Antonio Spurs against the Indiana Pacers.

The broadcast and streaming home of the NBA in the UK and Ireland is TNT Sports, which reached a multi-year deal with the league in late 2023 to air “at least nine games during each week of the regular season”.

It’s also airing “the league’s marquee events, including select games from the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, the NBA Playoffs, the Finals, NBA All-Star and the NBA Draft”.

The easiest way to sign up for all TNT Sports coverage is by securing its monthly pass (officially known as discovery+ Premium incl. TNT Sports). It’s priced at £30.99 for 30 days’ access.

Sign up for discovery+ Premium – including TNT Sports

Subscribers to TNT Sports via discovery+ premium will have access to multiple NBA games each week — as well as other live sports offerings including WWE and UFC, Premier League and exclusive European football from the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League. TNT also has coverage of Ligue 1 from France and Serie A from Italy.

You can also watch Gallagher Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, Formula E, cycling, boxing, UFC and live Eurosport coverage of snooker, tennis, motorsports and more.

TNT Sports is available across all of the major TV platforms through Discovery+ as an addition to your individual programming package, including BT TV for £20 extra on a monthly contract for those with an existing broadband contract.

Existing Virgin Media customers can add TNT Sports for £16.20 more per month to their Stream TV plan, or £18 per month if you have the Big Bundle or Bigger Bundle. Before signing up, do check that your home is within range of Virgin Media’s broadband network.

Sky‘s own TNT Sports add-on will cost you £28 extra a month if you have Sky Q & the basic Sky TV package, but there is an 18-month minimum term required. You can also bundle TNT Sports with Sky Stream or Sky Glass.

Depending on your area, you may be able to bundle TNT Sports with specialised TV and broadband packages from BT TV, Virgin Media and Sky for additional savings on your overall bill as well.

You can access the widest array of NBA games per week on NBA League Pass in the UK. The streaming service grants you access to every single NBA game, including the playoffs and the NBA Finals.

Sign up for NBA League Pass in the UK

Your options are the standard League Pass subscription – priced at £29.99 for the rest of the season or £14.99 per month – where you’ll have access to every game and NBA TV.

There’s also League Pass Premium, which costs £39.99 for the rest of the season or £19.99 per month. With this option, you’ll have all of the perks of the standard subscription plus ability to stream from three different devices simultaneously.

Alongside live coverage for every single NBA game, League Pass also allows viewers to customise their viewing experience with specialised camera angles, stats and broadcasts that best fit their needs.

Subscribers can watch condensed coverage of each game if they can’t catch them live.

Much like in the UK, NBA League Pass offers access to each playoff game remaining in the current NBA season, plus the NBA Finals.

Stateside fans can choose the standard League Pass for $14.99 per month, and you’ll get live TV coverage of each game (including out-of-market games), NBA TV access, condensed games for rewatching and a customisable viewing experience. This package does include adverts.

Sign up for NBA League Pass in the US

The League Pass Premium package costs $22.99 per month – with all of the features of the standard subscription plus no adverts and the ability to stream on up to three devices simultaneously.

One note of importance to subscribers is that there are select blackout games on NBA League Pass in the US. This means that certain local and national games will only be available to stream three hours after their live TV broadcast.

Live coverage will still be offered through access to radio broadcasts for these blackout games.

Another option for US subscribers who don’t have a cable TV package is watching NBA League Pass through an NBA / Sling Orange Bundle offer.

Here, you can save $30 by ordering the NBA playoffs through Sling Orange for just $90 upfront. This subscription will cover you for three months, so you’ll get the NBA Finals and the NBA Draft.

This streaming service offers access to playoff games airing nationally on ESPN, TNT and ABC, but these games will be subject to potential blackouts depending on your area.

There are 32 additional channels with sports and entertainment content, including CNN, TBS, TNT, HGTV, Freeform, Cartoon Network and more.

Night News Editor

Justin has been with Digital Spy since 2010, and in that time, has covered countless major news events for DS from the US. 

He has worked previously as both a reporter and sub editor for the brand, prior to taking on the position of Night News Editor in 2016. 

Over more than a decade, he has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. As a US contributor to Digital Spy, Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo.