NBA League Pass Explained
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NBA League Pass is the league's subscription for out-of-market games: it shows games live and on demand from teams outside your area, and it blocks your local team's games and any game on national TV live. There are three plans, and the right one depends on how many teams you follow.
It is built for fans of a team from another city, not for someone who wants their hometown team or the national showcase games. Below is how to tell which you are.
Last checked: October 2026. League Pass prices are usually confirmed around opening night, so treat the numbers below as last season's.
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The three plans
- Team Pass. One team's out-of-market games, live and on demand. $13.99 a month, or about $90 for the season.
- League Pass. Every out-of-market game, with NBA TV and multiview for up to four games. $16.99 a month, or about $110 for the season. One screen at a time.
- League Pass Premium. The same games with no commercials, in-arena streams during breaks, offline downloads and up to three screens. $24.99 a month, or $159.99 for the season.
Students can save more than 40 percent, according to NBA.com. You can buy it on NBA.com and in the NBA app, as a channel inside Prime Video, or through some cable and satellite providers.
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What to do, by the team you follow
You follow a team from another city. League Pass or Team Pass. Team Pass is cheaper if you watch one team only. League Pass fits if you also watch others.
You follow your local team. Skip it. Your local games are blocked live, and the other games that matter are on national TV, which League Pass also blocks live.
You follow the playoffs. Skip it. Postseason games are national-only.
You travel or have moved. It can fit, because blackouts follow your current location rather than your billing address.
The ways to buy, one by one
On NBA.com or in the NBA app. This is the direct route, with all three plans and season or monthly billing.
How to subscribe:
- Open the NBA app or NBA.com and go to League Pass.
- Choose Team Pass, League Pass or Premium.
- Sign in or create an NBA account.
- Pick monthly or season billing.
- Select a game from the schedule on game night.
Honest note: the season price saves money only if you will watch most of the season.
Through Prime Video. Amazon is the league's main outside seller, and the plans appear as a channel inside Prime Video. Amazon has advertised a seven-day trial that renews at the full monthly price unless you cancel.
How to subscribe:
- Open Prime Video and go to Channels.
- Choose NBA League Pass.
- Pick a plan.
- Check whether a trial is offered and when it ends.
- Watch inside Prime Video or the NBA app.
Honest note: a trial does not change the blackouts. The same rules apply during it.
Through a cable or satellite provider. Some providers sell League Pass and bill it with your TV.
How to subscribe:
- Ask your provider whether it sells League Pass.
- Compare the price with buying direct.
- Add it to your account.
- Link your provider login in the NBA app.
- Check that the games appear before the season starts.
The honest part: what League Pass will not show you
It blocks three kinds of games live. These are rules, not glitches.
Your local team's games. They are sold to a local broadcaster. On League Pass they become available on demand about three days later.
Nationally televised games. Anything on ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock or Prime Video is blocked live. According to NBA.com, those games appear on League Pass after 6 AM Eastern the next day.
National-only events. The playoffs and the NBA Finals, the NBA Cup semifinals and final, and All-Star Weekend are not on League Pass live.
Which teams are local to you depends on where you are, and it is not always the nearest arena. The NBA's Tap to Watch page and the League Pass schedule show where each game airs for your location.
So League Pass is not the one subscription with every game. A fan of an out-of-town team who wants every game needs League Pass for the regular ones and the national apps for the televised ones.
Before you subscribe
- Find out which teams are local to you. Those are blocked.
- Count how many of your team's games are on national TV. Those are blocked live too.
- Compare monthly and season prices.
- Premium is the only plan with more than one screen.
- If you start from a trial, note the day it renews.
- Student pricing is available on NBA.com.
- Confirm the app runs on your TV before paying.
- The league usually confirms the new season's prices around opening night.
What it costs
US prices from last season, approximate. Check the official page, plans change:
- Team Pass: $13.99 a month.
- League Pass: $16.99 a month, about $110 for the season.
- League Pass Premium: $24.99 a month, $159.99 for the season.
One out-of-town team: about $14 a month.
Several teams: about $17 a month.
League Pass plus every national app: about $70 a month.
FAQ
Can I watch my local team on League Pass?
Not live inside the team's home area. Those games arrive on demand about three days later.
Why can't I watch a game on League Pass?
It is probably local to you, or it is on national TV that night. Both are blocked live.
Does League Pass include the playoffs?
No. Playoff games and the Finals are national-only.
What is the difference between League Pass and Team Pass?
Team Pass covers one team. League Pass covers every out-of-market game and includes NBA TV.
Is League Pass included with Amazon Prime?
No. It is a separate subscription that can be bought inside Prime Video.
Does a trial change the blackouts?
No. The same rules apply during a trial.
Wrap-up
That is what NBA League Pass shows, what it blocks and what it costs: a regular-season product for fans of teams from other cities. Which team are you trying to follow from out of town?
