Watch the Lakers regular season from SoCal on Spectrum Sportsnet with DIRECTV STREAM “Choice” or wait for the Lakers to appear in nationally televised games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
Table of Contents
- In-market. At present, DIRECTV STREAM is the only live TV streaming service that carries Spectrum SportsNet, the regional sports network that broadcasts Lakers games to local fans in and around Los Angeles.
- National games. Our top picks are Sling Orange, which carries ESPN and TNT, plus the ability to live-stream the ABC games on ESPN3 with the ESPN app, and DIRECTV STREAM, which offers more comprehensive coverage all season long.
Watch KTTV FOX 11 Los Angeles, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, TNT, FS1, Spectrum SportsNet, and more. | $99.99 / month | 5 Day Free Trial |
Watch ESPN, ESPN3, and TNT. | $35 / month | Explore offers |
Watch out-of-market Lakers games. | $14.99 / month | Get NBA League Pass |
How to watch tonight’s Lakers game
Which channel is the Lakers game on tonight and when does the game tip-off? We list the Lakers TV schedule, as well as the live TV streaming services that carry each game, in the easy to use table below.
The most important channels for Lakers fans
Spectrum SportsNet is the regional sports network that carries the majority of Lakers games for fans in SoCal. Nationally televised Lakers games will air on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
| DIRECTV STREAM – Choice | DIRECTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu + Live TV | Sling Orange & Blue | YouTube TV | Bally Sports+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| $99.99 / month | $74.99 / month | $74.99 / month | $69.99 / month | $50 / month | $72.99 / month | $19.99 / month |
If you live in SoCal
Watch the Lakers on DIRECTV STREAM
In-market Lakers fans who want to follow the team week in and week out have DIRECTV STREAM “Choice” as their only option as the platform is currently the only live TV streaming service that carries Spectrum SportsNet.
Pros
- Carries ABC, ESPN, and TNT
- Carries Spectrum SportsNet for in-market games
Cons
- Spectrum SportsNet requires an upgrade to the “Choice” plan
Watch the Lakers on national TV
The Lakers are a mainstay on national TV, and often contend for a playoff spot. The streaming services listed below carry the Lakers when they are on national TV.
Watch the Lakers on Fubo
Fubo carries ABC and ESPN, but lacks TNT for watching the Lakers when Chuck, Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq have the game. Unfortunately, fuboTV doesn’t carry Spectrum SportsNet or TNT. However, you can add NBA League Pass to a fuboTV account to watch the Lakers out-of-market, and you can watch the nationally televised Lakers games that air on ABC or ESPN, including playoff games, on fuboTV.
Pros
- Carries ABC and ESPN
- Upgrade for NBA League Pass
Cons
- Lacks TNT
- Lacks Spectrum Sportsnet
Watch the Lakers on Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV carries all the channels NBA fans need for nationally televised games, including ABC, ESPN, and TNT. Hulu + Live TV doesn’t carry Spectrum SportsNet, and doesn’t offer an NBA League Pass upgrade, so the platform isn’t a good option for watching the Lakers. The only Lakers games you can watch on Hulu + Live TV are nationally televised games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT, including playoff games.
Pros
- Carries ABC, ESPN, and TNT
- Playoff coverage
Cons
- Lacks Spectrum Sportsnet
Watch the Lakers on Sling TV
Pros
- Carries ESPN and TNT
- Upgrade for ABC in LA market
- ESPN3 gets ABC simulcasts for big games
Cons
- Lacks Spectrum Sportsnet
Watch the Lakers on YouTube TV
No, if you are a Lakers fans living in SoCal, you can’t watch the Lakers on YouTube TV because YouTube TV doesn’t carry Spectrum SportsNet. However, if you live out-of-market, you can watch the Lakers on NBA League Pass, or wait for the nationally televised games.
Pros
- Carries ABC, ESPN and TNT
- Upgrade for NBA League Pass
Cons
- Lacks Spectrum Sportsnet
How to watch the Lakers out-of-market
Do you live in NYC, Boston, Cleveland or Miami, and want to watch the Lakers live stream? NBA League Pass is your best option.
You can signup for NBA League Pass à la carte on Amazon Prime, or the package can be added to an existing YouTube TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, or DIRECTV STREAM account. Lakers fans take note: if you live in SoCal, NBA League Pass will be blacked out in favor of Spectrum SportsNet’s TV rights.
Watching the Lakers FAQ
You can watch the Lakers on Spectrum SportsNet, not Spectrum SportsNet LA. Lakers games are carried on Spectrum SportsNet, while the Dodgers are covered by Spectrum SportsNet LA.
Not in-market games, no. The only Lakers games you can watch on Sling TV are out-of-market broadcasts and some national broadcasts. If you live in LA, you can’t watch most Lakers games on Sling TV because the platform doesn’t carry Spectrum SportsNet. When the Lakers are on ESPN, or TNT, you can watch the game on Sling Orange. If you live out-of-market, you can watch the Thunder on Sling TV by adding NBA League Pass to an existing subscription.
No, you can’t watch the Lakers on ESPN Plus. One of the big drawbacks with ESPN Plus is the lack of NFL, NBA, and big college football games.
While you can’t watch the entire Lakers season live online for free, DIRECTV STREAM usually offers a 5 day free trial, which could be used one time to watch the Lakers for free in a 5 day time span.
No, you can’t watch the Lakers on Philo TV. The Philo TV platform doesn’t offer any sports programming or sports channels.