The NBA Summer League returns to the court this July, with the Las Vegas Summer League beginning on July 7, 2023.
As an off-season competition like no other, the Summer League showcases basketball’s rising stars—including recent NBA Draft picks. And you can watch every game across NBA TV and ESPN channels.
Keep scrolling for the best ways to catch this year’s Summer League on TV. After all, there’s no better way to scope out your favorite teams ahead of next season.
What channel is the NBA Summer League on?
You can watch the 2023 NBA Summer League on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and NBA TV. ESPN Deportes also carries occasional Summer League games if you prefer commentary en Español.
Pro tip: NBA League Pass subscribers can stream every Summer League game that airs on NBA TV, but blackouts exist for the ESPN matchups.
2023 NBA Summer League schedules
The NBA hasn’t released the Summer League team schedules for the 2023 off-season, but the Las Vegas tournament will occur July 7–17. Based on last season’s schedules (seen below), the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League should happen in the first week of July.
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat | July 2, 2022 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors | July 2, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Miami Heat at Sacramento Kings | July 3, 2022 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors | July 3, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Golden State Warriors at Miami Heat | July 5, 2022 | 3 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers | July 5, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
All games played in San Francisco.
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies at Philadelphia 76ers | July 5, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz | July 5, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder | July 6, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Utah Jazz | July 6, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers | July 7, 2022 | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz | July 7, 2022 | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
All games played in Salt Lake City.
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic | July 7, 2022 | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Detroit Pistons | July 7, 2022 | 12 a.m. | ESPN |
| Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls | July 8, 2022 | 4 p.m. | ESPNU |
| San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers | July 8, 2022 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers | July 8, 2022 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks | July 8, 2022 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Golden State Warriors at New York Knicks | July 8, 2022 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves | July 8, 2022 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers | July 8, 2022 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers | July 9, 2022 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Orlando Magic at Sacramento Kings | July 9, 2022 | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Boston Celtics at Miami Heat | July 9, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Detroit Pistons at Washington Wizards | July 9, 2022 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz | July 9, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets | July 9, 2022 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies | July 9, 2022 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers | July 9, 2022 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Indiana Pacers at Sacramento Kings | July 10, 2022 | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets | July 10, 2022 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks | July 10, 2022 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Washington Wizards at Phoenix Suns | July 10, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers | July 10, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs | July 10, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies | July 10, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers | July 10, 2022 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans at Atlanta Hawks | July 11, 2022 | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs | July 11, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics | July 11, 2022 | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder | July 11, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz | July 11, 2022 | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New York Knicks at Portland Trail Blazers | July 11, 2022 | 11 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors | July 12, 2022 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Brooklyn Nets | July 12, 2022 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat | July 12, 2022 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors | July 12, 2022 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers | July 12, 2022 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks | July 12, 2022 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers | July 12, 2022 | 11 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks | July 13, 2022 | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets | July 13, 2022 | 5 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Washington Wizards at New Orleans Pelicans | July 13, 2022 | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Toronto Raptors at Utah Jazz | July 13, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder | July 13, 2022 | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers | July 13, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers | July 13, 2022 | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio Spurs | July 14, 2022 | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Boston Celtics | July 14, 2022 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets | July 14, 2022 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons | July 14, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks | July 14, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| New York Knicks at Orlando Magic | July 14, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Brooklyn Nets at Minnesota Timberwolves | July 14, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets | July 14, 2022 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz | July 15, 2022 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Denver Nuggets | July 15, 2022 | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors | July 15, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns | July 15, 2022 | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards | July 15, 2022 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors | July 15, 2022 | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans | July 15, 2022 | 11 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers | July 16, 2022 | 3 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons | July 16, 2022 | 4 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Charlotte Hornets at Minnesota Timberwolves | July 16, 2022 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs | July 16, 2022 | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers | July 16, 2022 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics | July 16, 2022 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings | July 16, 2022 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks | July 16, 2022 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Miami Heat at Los Angeles Clippers | July 16, 2022 | 11 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Championship Game: Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks | July 17, 2022 | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors | July 17, 2022 | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Phoenix Suns at Indiana Pacers | July 17, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans | July 17, 2022 | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors | July 17, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz | July 17, 2022 | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
All games played in Las Vegas.
Best TV plans for watching the NBA Summer League
The best TV plan for watching the NBA Summer League depends on your viewing goals. If you want access to every NBA game this summer for the lowest price, Sling TV is the cheapest way to get ESPN with NBA TV.
At $40 per month, the Sling Orange package comes with ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. You’ll need the Sports Extra add-on for $11 per month to get ESPNU and NBA TV. But you can pay that $51-a-month total at the beginning of July and cancel after the Summer League ends with no strings attached.
Sling TV includes a lackluster 50 hours of DVR storage in its base plans and poor local channel coverage. Therefore, if you want a more robust service for watching the NBA year-round, check out our How To Watch NBA Games page. TL;DR: YouTube TV is an excellent service for watching national NBA and WNBA coverage.
Which TV providers carry the NBA Summer League?
Most TV providers feature NBA Summer League coverage. But as the table below shows, only select services carry every required channel. You may also need a higher-tier plan or add-on package to get ESPNU and NBA TV through some providers.
| Provider | Price | ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPNU | NBA TV | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | $56.00–$139.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | $64.99–$154.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $64.99–$154.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| DISH | $79.99–$109.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DISH review |
| fuboTV | $74.99–$94.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read fuboTV review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $69.99–$82.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Optimum | $35.00–$115.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Optimum review |
| Philo | $25.00/mo. | — | — | — | — |
View plans Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Sling TV review |
| Spectrum | $59.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Spectrum review |
| Vidgo | $59.95–$79.95/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — |
View plans Read Vidgo review |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$80.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Xfinity review |
| YouTube TV | $72.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch the NBA Summer League for free
Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward way to watch the NBA Summer League for free. Every game airs on a subscription-based TV channel like ESPN and NBA TV. Therefore, only free live TV streaming trials can get you Summer League coverage without paying.
Head to our Streaming Services with Free Trials guide for a closer look at which services offer free trials.
Final take
This July, fans can watch every NBA Summer League game on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and NBA TV. Those channels will cover three off-season tournaments in Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. The Sin City competition will feature all 30 NBA teams.
Sling TV offers the cheapest way to get every Summer League channel through its Sling Orange plan ($40 per month) with the Sports Extra add-on ($11 per month). But YouTube TV ($72.99 per month) is worth checking out if you want a better DVR, more WNBA coverage, and a larger channel lineup.
How to watch the NBA Summer League FAQ
Can I watch the NBA Summer League on Hulu?
Yes, you can watch NBA Summer League games with a Hulu + Live TV subscription. While the streaming service comes with every ESPN channel, it doesn’t include access to NBA TV. But you can sign up for a standalone NBA TV subscription for $6.99 per month.
How can I watch the NBA Summer League without cable?
You can watch the NBA Summer League without cable via any live TV streaming service that includes ESPN channels and NBA TV. DIRECTV STREAM, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are our favorite services for streaming NBA games.
Can I watch the NBA Summer League on NBA League Pass?
Yes, you can watch select NBA Summer League games on NBA League Pass because the streaming service includes NBA TV coverage. However, blackouts exist for all Summer League games that air on ESPN channels. You must wait until Summer League ends to watch any blacked-out games.
Methodology
Our sports experts researched and tested the best ways to watch the NBA Summer League. After identifying this year’s Summer League schedule, we compared the pricing and channel lineups of 13 popular TV providers. We then determined our provider recommendations based on Summer League coverage and ease of use.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
