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The state of watching Pro Basketball on streaming services in Australia

Authors
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    Name
    Edwin Popham
    Twitter

Watching professional basketball in Australia has shifted significantly over the years, especially as streaming services evolve and offering bundles that cater to diverse sports fans. From my own experience, juggling multiple subscriptions just to keep up with the NBA felt overwhelming and often not worth the cost or hassle.

Australia Basketball Streaming

Personal Journey Through Subscriptions

Initially, I subscribed directly to NBA League Pass to access all games throughout the season. While it was comprehensive, I found it hard to justify the expense since I couldn’t watch enough games to make full use of it. Then, I switched to NBA League Pass team subscription to focus on my favourite teams but quickly grew bored because I missed out on other exciting matchups across the league.

I also subscribe to Kayo Sports mainly for NRL during the season. Kayo showed limited NBA games each week, which was okay when I was less basketball-focused, but it lacked the depth and variety I wanted. Now that the NRL season has wrapped up, Kayo becomes less essential for me.

The Disney+ Advantage for Basketball Fans

The big change this year has been Disney+ securing rights to stream a large number of NBA and Australian NBL games through ESPN. Disney+ now offers around 240 live NBA games per season, including playoffs and the finals, plus full NBL seasons. This makes it the go-to all-year-round streaming service if you love basketball and also want access to huge libraries of Star Wars, Marvel, and other entertainment content.

This shift means I’ve streamlined my subscriptions: I keep Disney+ year-round to cover basketball, and only subscribe to Kayo during the NRL season. It’s a cost-effective, simpler setup that fits both my sporting interests and entertainment needs.

What This Means for Australian Basketball Fans

  • NBA League Pass: Still the most comprehensive for hardcore fans wanting every single game live or on-demand but pricey and underused for casual viewers.
  • Kayo Sports: Valuable during NRL season for multiple sports but limited NBA coverage outside of that.
  • Disney+ (with ESPN): The best all-rounder now for basketball fans, covering the majority of NBA and NBL games and doubling as a major entertainment service.
  • SBS On Demand: Free option that occasionally shows select NBA playoff games and finals, plus some NBL coverage. Great for casual fans who don't want to pay for subscriptions but coverage is very limited and unpredictable.

In conclusion, if you’re like me with diverse basketball interests and also a fan of quality entertainment, Disney+ year-round plus Kayo in the NRL season is the sweet spot. It’s a far cry from the days when watching every NBA game felt like an impossible juggling act.

Being based in Australia, this blend of sports tech convenience and content richness helps me stay connected to basketball whether following the NBA, supporting the Aussie NBL, or just catching some classic Star Wars when downtime calls.

Looking forward to what streaming and sports broadcasting brings next in this fast-changing landscape!