The NBA regular season is now over. It is now time to make way for the final stages, with already beautiful posters for the start of the playoffs. Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets are aiming for back-to-back (two titles in a row) and will have to face LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
In life, there is not only football and Formula 1. There is also basketball, of which the NBA – American professional league – constitutes the most beautiful showcase. Stars you name it, records constantly broken, surreal performances… Thanks to all these ingredients, the NBA is becoming a premier television spectacle. Today, there are many reasons to do it, starting with easier access to matches – if we put aside the time difference.
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The 2023/2024 season began on Tuesday October 24 (on the night of the 25th in France), the date from which Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets put their title won against the Miami Heat back on the line. During this exercise, we witnessed the big debut of Victor Wembanyama, draft number 1 who plays for the San Antonio Spurs and promises to reign over the league in the years to come. Unfortunately, we will not see him during the playoffs, the final phase which starts on April 20.
There are two ways to enjoy the NBA legally in France. First there is the beIN Sports solution, which renewed its broadcast contract until 2024 and will continue an eleventh season in a row as an official broadcaster. But, above all, the league has its own streaming platform, called League Pass. Here's how to subscribe and not miss anything about the future NBA season.
How does an NBA season go?
An NBA season is divided into two phases. First there is the regular season, where the 30 teams, divided into two conferences, each play 82 matches to determine the top 10 in each conference. The first six teams in each ranking are directly qualified for the playoffs, while those occupying places 7 to 10 compete for the last two accesses via a play-in tournament.
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The course of the play-in:
- Team #7 meets Team #8 for a playoff spot;
- Team #9 meets Team #10;
- The winner of #9 versus #10 meets the loser of #7 versus #8 for a place in the playoffs.
Then come the playoffs, which begin in April and conclude with a clash at the top between the two champion teams of their conference. To triumph, a team must advance through four rounds, each time a best-of-seven match: quarterfinals, semifinals, conference finals and NBA finals. Note that the higher ranked team has home advantage: it plays more matches at home (2-2-1-1-1 format).
For the 2023/2024 season, the League is innovating with a tournament organized during the season: the In-Season Tournament, which will crown a winner after four group matches (six groups) and a final tournament. All matches count toward the regular season, except the final.
The In-Season Tournament schedule:
- From November 3 to 28: group stage;
- From December 4 to 9: final tournament.
The schedule for the 2023/2024 NBA season
Here are the dates to remember for the 2023/2024 NBA season :
- October 24, 2023: start of the regular season
- December 9, 2023: In-Season Tournament final
- December 25, 2023: NBA Christmas Day 2023
- January 11, 2024: match between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris
- January 15, 2024: Martin Luther King Day
- February 16-18, 2024: NBA All-Star Weekend
- April 14, 2024: end of regular season
- April 16-19, 2023: Play-In Tournament
- April 20, 2024: start of the playoffs
- June 6, 2024: start of the NBA Finals
What are the posters for the first round of the playoffs?
East
- Boston (1st) versus Chicago or Miami (8th)
- New York (2nd) versus Philadelphia (7th)
- Milwaukee (3rd) versus Indiana (6th)
- Cleveland (4th) versus Orlando (5th)
West
- Oklahoma City (1st) versus New Orleans or Sacramento (8th)
- Denver (2nd) versus Los Angeles Lakers (7th)
- Minnesota (3rd) versus Phoenix (6th)
- Los Angeles Clippers (4th) versus Dallas (5th)
Where to watch the NBA for free?
Unfortunately, there is no way to watch the NBA for free in France. There are two solutions: the official league application or the beIN Sports channel.
Where to watch NBA basketball in France and the matches live?
How to subscribe to NBA League Pass to watch all matches live and streaming?
NBA League Pass is an NBA fan's best friend. It is designed for those who don't want to miss out on their favorite sport. The different packages allow you to watch all the matches live (mainly at night due to the time difference) or in replay – regular season and final stages included (i.e. more than 1,200 matches). The NBA application is available on a large number of devices (iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Chromecast, PC/Mac, etc.) and offers good image quality .
In addition to matches, you can find essential information there (statistics, latest news, rankings, broadcasts from NBA TV studios, etc.). Note that the application, available in French, is geolocated (useful for knowing exact times). On PC/Mac, it is possible to watch up to four matches at the same time. Don't want to be spoiled? The previous day's scores can be hidden to keep the surprise intact – practical for those who want to watch delayed (offline possible by downloading the match). Do you want to follow just one team? No problem.
The NBA League Pass regularly offers free days to enjoy its content. Another important point: the Premium option allows you to watch on three devices at the same time. You can therefore, as on other SVOD platforms, share the subscription with a friend (and divide the price by three). Please note, renewal is automatic.
In 2022, the NBA App received a major overhaul, thanks to a partnership with Microsoft (for cloud features). In addition to a more modern and pleasant interface, the goal is to offer more and more content to fans (whether they subscribe to League Pass or not). There's even a 'For You' tab with recommendations. It's a real gold mine for following your passion, with more direct access to behind the scenes of an NBA season (conferences, vertical videos, etc.) and new camera angles. It's simple: 24-hour coverage is promised.
For the duration of the playoffs, the NBA League Pass is offered at a reduced rate:
How to watch the NBA in streaming, live or replay with beIN Sports?
Do you prefer a more universal solution, with other sports broadcast? Please note that beIN Sports is the NBA's partner for broadcasting in France. There is, however, a drawback: not all matches are offered on the different media channels (there are one or two live per night, including during the playoffs). They are in reality imposed by the League, which can absolutely keep the most beautiful posters for its League Pass. This limit is compensated for by comments provided by French journalists (therefore in French) and a more editorialized approach (a summary program entitled NBA Extra is broadcast from Monday to Saturday, at 12:45 p.m., another on Sunday evening).
Several subscription options are available for beIN Sports:
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