By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I want to watch the NBA Finals between the Nuggets and Heat but I want to spend as little money as possible so I am thinking about Sling TV. My question is this: Will Sling TV have the games? — Jerry, Vero Beach, Florida.
Marcel, the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat begins Thursday night (June 1) in Denver at 8:30 p.m. ET. (You can see the entire schedule here.) ABC will broadcast the entire series.
Sling TV, the multi-channel, live streaming service, is now offering its first month of service for $30, which is $10 off the regular rate, and considerably less than its streaming rivals such as YouTube TV, Fubo, DIRECTV Stream and Hulu.
But does Sling carry ABC? Will it be able to offer the NBA Finals?
The answer is yes, but it’s a little tricky.
Sling has ABC in its lineup in eight markets: Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh, North Carolina and San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose.
Does that mean you can’t watch the Nuggets-Heat series if you don’t live in one of those eight markets?
No. Sling TV carries ESPN 3, one of the sports network’s online services, and it will simulcast the games. You can access ESPN 3 on Sling by simply clicking on its icon in the Sling on-screen guide.
Note: ESPN 3 is available in Sling’s Orange plan, not the Blue plan.
Of course, the cheapest way to watch the series on ABC is a TV antenna. That is, if you already own one. The antenna can pick up the local ABC station signal for free. But if you don’t already own an antenna, it will cost you $20-30, which is about the same as that one month of Sling.
Jerry, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
