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The Emirates NBA Cup is back. The NBA’s in-season tournament was a hit last season with the Milwaukee Bucks winning it all. And now for 2025, the NBA Cup is wide open for all 30 teams to win in a single-elimination format with the championship game.
The 2025 NBA Cup kicks off with eight games on Friday, Oct. 31 with a doubleheader on Prime Video. The first game features the Boston Celtics taking on the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with tipoff at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET.
Additionally, the second game has the L.A. Lakers going head-to-head with the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee with a start time of 6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET. Click here for the NBA Cup game schedule.
At a Glance: Watch the 2025 NBA Cup Online
- When: Oct. 31 to Dec. 16
- TV channels: NBC, ESPN
- Stream online: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo, Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN Unlimited, NBA League Pass
How to Stream 2025 NBA Cup Without Cable
While NBA Cup games broadcast on TV across NBC and ESPN, the in-season tournament can also be streamed on web-based streaming cable services — like DirecTV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV — some of which even offer free trials. Games are also streamable on Prime Video and Peacock.
Note that the basketball games are sprinkled across multiple networks, streaming services and platforms. The only service that carries every game is NBA League Pass; learn more about the network here.
Ahead, find out how to watch NBA Cup games with and without a cable subscription.
Prime Video
Prime Video features NBA games, including NBC Cup games, throughout the in-season tournament. New subscribers can get a free 30-day trial for Prime Video; after that, the standalone streaming service auto-renews at $8.99 per month. Another way to watch the game for free is with a membership to Amazon Prime, which includes access to Prime Video and costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year — a nearly 25 percent savings compared to paying the regular monthly price.
Amazon Prime includes access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Music Prime, as well as fast free shipping on most items sold from the online retailer with Prime Delivery, in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more.
Peacock
Peacock is the home of the NBA on NBC, including the NBA Cup. Not a Peacock subscriber? The streamer has an ad-free Peacock Premium package for $10.99 monthly (or $109.99 yearly). Otherwise, the ad-supported plan is $16.99 monthly (or $169.99 yearly).
Aside from the NFL, you’ll get access to originals such as Poker Face, Love Island USA, The Traitors, Ted and others; hit movies like How To Train Your Dragon (2025), The Phoenician Scheme, Megan 2.0, Honey Don’t! and others; live sports and entertainment from NBC Sports; and more than 50 “always-on” streaming channels.
Related: The Best Peacock Streaming Deals
DirecTV
Watch 2025 NBA Cup games with DirecTV, which carries NBC and ESPN, along with more than 90 other channels — such as ABC, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ION Television, Fox, AMC, Bravo, CNBC, Disney Channel and others. Sports fans can watch the in-season tournament for free with the cable streamer’s five-day trial. Afterwards, you can either cancel the service or keep watching, with prices starting at $49.99 for the first month of service for the entry-level Entertainment package ($89.99 per month afterward) with the streamer’s current deals.
Fubo
Another way to watch 2025 NBA Cup games on NBC and ESPN is through Fubo. The streaming service starts at $54.99 for the first month ($84.99 per month afterward) for more than 240 channels with the streamer’s current deals. You can also record over 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more. If you want to watch some of the NBA season live online free, the online TV streaming service offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers.
Hulu + Live TV
To watch NBC and ESPN online, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV is another fantastic option. The streaming service includes Disney+, ESPN+ and access to more than 90 live channels — like CBS Sports Network, BET, CNN, Food Network and more — starting at $64.99 per month for the first three months for new or returning subscribers. The deal runs through Wednesday, Nov. 5; after that, subscriptions auto-renew starting at $82.99 per month.
In addition to live cable, Hulu + Live TV lets subscribers watch originals from Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.
Sling
Sling is one of the cheapest options for new live TV streaming subscribers who want to watch NBA Cup games on NBC (in some markets) and ESPN with the Orange + Blue plan, which is up to 50 percent off the first month for eligible new subscribers (prices and channel availability depend on your local TV market). Sling Orange + Blue includes Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, CNN, Fox News, TBS, Bravo, FreeForm, QVC, MSNBC and much more.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN Unlimited is live-streaming NFL games this season, in particularly Monday Night Football. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for ESPN Unlimited and get Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99 per month for the first 12 months.
ESPN Unlimited includes all of the sports network’s channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ABC on ESPN, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and others, as well as original programming, such as The Pat McAfee Show, 30 For 30, McEnroe’s Places, Man in the Arena: Tom Brady, Southern Hoops: A History of SEC Basketball, Deion’s Double Play and others. Meanwhile, it comes with streaming access to live sports from NBA, UFC, Formula 1, NHL, MLB and other sports leagues.
NBA League Pass
To stream every NBA Cup game from all 30 teams during the regular season, NBA Cup, postseason and NBA Finals, NBA League Pass is the best option.
With prices starting at $16.99 per month, the streaming service features all live games, on-demand games and access to games from the NBA’s archive. NBA League Pass also includes NBA TV for coverage, analysis, documentaries, highlights and more.
However, blackout rules apply to certain TV markets. Learn more about NBA League Pass here.
How to Watch 2025 NBA Cup With Cable
NBA Cup games air across NBC and ESPN. You can watch by tuning in through your cable TV provider, on ESPN.com and NBCSports.com, or on the ESPN Unlimited and NBC Sports mobile apps with your cable TV account login — including streaming and traditional services such as DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Verizon, Xfinity and others.
NBA Cup 2025 Game Schedule
The NBA Cup starts with group play on Friday, Oct. 31, while games throughout the tournament take place every week on Tuesdays and Fridays until it ends with the championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
- Group Play: Oct. 31-Nov. 28 (Tuesdays and Fridays)
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 9, 10
- Semifinals: Dec. 13
- Championship: Dec. 16
NBA Cup 2025 Groups
Here’s how the NBA Cup works: All 30 teams are divided into three groups per conference. Each team plays the other teams in the group from Tuesday, Nov. 12 to Friday, Nov. 26.
Then six teams that has the best record (one from each group), along with two wild cards, moves on to the quarterfinal, and then the semifinals in Las Vegas — which is where the championship game is also held. Learn more about the NBA Cup’s rules and format here.
East: Group A
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
East: Group B
- Boston Celtics
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
East: Group C
- New York Knicks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
West: Group A
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Sacramento Kings
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
West: Group B
- Los Angeles Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans
West: Group C
- Houston Rockets
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
Where to Buy 2025 NBA Cup Tickets Online
Want to watch games in person? Tickets are available for the in-season tournament at StubHub, Ticket Liquidator, Ticketmaster and GameTime — prices depend on city and seat location. For more info, visit NBA.com.
One of the best deals on last-minute tickets right now is at TicketNetwork, which offers The Hollywood Reporter readers $150 off orders of $500 with promo code THR150, or $300 off orders that are $1,000 and up with code THR300.
Other deals on tickets can be found at Vivid Seats, where you can save $20 with code THR30; or at SeatGeek where you can use promo code HOLLYWOOD10 to save $10 on eligible purchases of $250 and up.
