Why You Can Trust CNET How to watch Boston Celtics games in 2019 without cable
Cord-cutting NBA fans have a number of options for streaming Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics this season.
After eight years in Charlotte, Kemba Walker is in his first season with the Boston Celtics.
Kyrie is out. Kemba is in. The Boston Celtics signed Kemba Walker to replace Kyrie Irving, who is now plying his trade in Brooklyn. Point guard replacement aside, the Celtics roster looks a lot like last year's with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and a resurgent Gordon Hayward (Update: he's hurt again) in the starting lineup. Does Boston have enough to overtake the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks in the East?
Celtics fans have a number of ways to find out the answer to that question this season without a cable or satellite TV subscription. Most live TV streaming services carry the regional sports network that broadcasts the team's games in the Boston market. Out-of-market fans can subscribe to NBA League Pass to watch the team's games live. Plus, the Celtics will make regular appearances on national NBA broadcasts, which are shown on ABC , ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.
Stream Celtics games live in Boston
In 2019, Celtics games will be shown on NBC Sports Boston, an RSN available only in Boston markets. Sling TV is the only live TV streaming service that does not carry NBC Sports Boston. Check out your cord-cutting options below for the packages that carry NBC Sports Boston. I've also included information for ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV for live national broadcasts. Not every service carries every local network, however, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries ABC and NBC Sports Boston in your area.
YouTube TV costs $50 a month and includes everything a Celtics fan needs: NBC Sports Boston, ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local channels are available in your area.
FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes NBC Sports Boston, TNT and NBA TV, but not ABC or ESPN. Click here to see which local channels you get.
Hulu with Live TV costs $45 a month and includes NBC Sports Boston, ABC, ESPN and TNT. It does not offer NBA TV. Click the "View all channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
AT&T TV Now's $50-a-month Plus package includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. Its $70-a-month Max package adds NBC Sports Boston. Neither plan features NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. AT&T TV Now is raising its prices later this month, and its new base price will be $65 for the Plus package and $80 for Max.
PlayStation Vue's basic $50-a-month Access plan includes ESPN, TNT and ABC. The $55-a-month Core plan adds NBC Sports Boston and NBA TV. You can see which local channels are available in your area here. Note that Vue will shut down in January 2020, but in the meantime it's still available.
Sling TV's $25-a-month Sling Orange package includes ESPN and TNT. None of Sling TV's plans includes ABC or NBC Sports Boston, but you can get NBA TV with the $10-a-month Sports Extra add-on. (Sling TV is currently discounted by 40% for the first month.)
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.
Out-of-market live streaming of Celtics games
If you outside the Boston market, then you can't get NBC Sports Boston. You can, however, stream Celtics games live with an NBA League Pass subscription. Or resign yourself to watching the team only when it's featured on a national NBA broadcast.
With NBA League Pass, your local team's games are blacked out along with nationally televised games. You can watch all out-of-market games (unless they're on ESPN, TNT or another national broadcast) for $250 for the season (or $40 a month) with no commercials, or $200 for the season (or $29 a month) with commercial breaks. You can sign up to watch only your favorite out-of-market team's games for $120 for the season (or $18 a month). Or you can get just NBA TV for the channel's coverage of the league and the live games it shows for $60 a year or $7 a month. NBA League Pass is supported on a number of devices.