How to Safely Watch the 2024 NBA Playoffs Online
Reading time: 12 min
Updated on October 11, 2024
After doing extensive research, I created this list of official broadcasters for the 2024 NBA Playoffs that won’t require you to risk your internet security. However, you should note that these streaming platforms are only accessible from a few countries.
Of course, you could get another country’s IP address with a VPN to access these broadcasters, but this would be against any platform’s terms of service, and my team and I don’t condone any illegal activity, such as circumventing geo-restrictions.
Even if you live where these platforms are available, you must still secure your connection with a VPN to avoid getting spied on or leaking your IP address. ExpressVPN offers the best security without compromising speeds, and you can try ExpressVPN risk-free. The 30-day money-back guarantee lets you get a full refund if you’re unsatisfied. Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
Quick Guide: 4 Easy Steps to Watch the NBA Playoffs From Anywhere
- Get a VPN. ExpressVPN has super-fast servers for watching the NBA Playoff in the highest quality. Try ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Sign up for an International NBA League Pass for access from a variety of countries. You can also watch the NBA Playoffs on any of the other streaming services listed below!
- Connect to a server. Select a server in a country where your chosen streaming service is based.
- Stream safely. Access your preferred streaming platform and safely watch the NBA playoffs.
Where to Watch the 2024 NBA Playoffs Without Cable
You can watch the NBA Playoffs on multiple sites without a cable subscription, but be aware that some of these services require a local credit card or PayPal account.
- NBA League Pass (Worldwide) — The NBA League Pass is the best place to watch the NBA Playoffs. The International League Pass is free from blackout restrictions and covers most countries. Plus, there’s a 7-day free trial available if you’d like to try the service before committing.
- AT&T TV Now (US) — Premium plan that offers 45+ channels with its starter package (with ABC, ESPN, and NBC included for playoff streaming).
- DAZN (US, Canada, Germany, Italy, and More) — One of the cheaper plans on this list and streams NBA and other international sports.
- fuboTV (US) — Quite expensive, but an excellent all-round streaming option with a 7-day free trial. You can also watch behind-the-scenes content with access to NBA TV.
- Hulu + Live TV (US) — A huge amount of national and regional networks can be accessed with a premium subscription. You can try it risk-free with a 7-day free trial.
- Sling TV (US) — If you’re only following one team, you can get a more affordable Team Pass. You also have the option for an NBA League Pass package to have access to pre-season games through the playoffs.
- Sportsnet (US, Canada) — One of the cheapest options on the list covering a range of international sports, including the NHL, NFL, UFC, and MLB.
- TSN Direct (US, Canada) — The cheapest monthly plan on this list, which offers a wide range of global sporting events.
- YouTube TV (US) — One of the most expensive streaming services, but has a wide range of sports and regular broadcasting. It also has a 7-day free trial.
How a VPN Keeps You Safe While Watching the 2024 NBA Playoffs
A VPN safeguards your online activity by using military-grade encryption standards, such as AES 256-bit. Plus, top VPNs ensure they never keep logs of your online activity, thus keeping your activity private. You’ll also get tools like leak protection and kill switches with the best VPNs for added layers of security.
Of course, not every VPN is effective. In my tests, I’ve found that ExpressVPN is the best choice for staying completely safe online. It has AES 256-bit encryption, a no-logs policy, RAM-based servers, and various other tools to ensure you remain protected and anonymous.
Note: Before you connect to a VPN, read through your chosen streaming service’s Terms & Conditions. Though using a VPN may not violate them, streaming from a country where you didn’t purchase your account could.
The Best VPNs to Watch the NBA Playoffs in 2024
1. ExpressVPN — #1 VPN for Watching the NBA Playoffs With Zero Buffering
Key Features:
- 3,000 global servers and hundred in the US
- High-speed servers with no buffering while streaming
- Watch NBA Playoff games on up to 8 devices at once
- 24/7 email and live chat support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN for safely watching NBA Playoff games without buffering or pixelation. During tests, my colleague in the US watched matches on multiple official NBA Playoff broadcasters, including DAZN, Hulu, and Sling TV.
It takes only a few seconds to get connected to ExpressVPN — just choose from the list or search for a country. After I tested multiple countries, they all took less than 6 seconds, and the closest servers took just 2 seconds to connect!
The speeds you get with ExpressVPN are more than fast enough for quality streaming, so you don’t miss any buzzer-beaters during the playoffs. Surprisingly, my slowest speed during testing was 126Mbps with the New York servers (11,000 km+ from me!).
Of course, you also get airtight protection with ExpressVPN. The app offers AES 256-bit encryption, a no-logs policy, RAM-based servers, leak protection, a built-in kill switch, and more. All these tools work together to ensure you always remain safe and anonymous while streaming or doing anything else online.
You can also try ExpressVPN risk-free. Its 30-day money-back guarantee lets you ask for a full refund if you’re unsatisfied. I asked for a refund via the 24/7 live chat after 2 weeks of testing its features. The agent approved the refund with no questions asked, and I had the money back in my account just 4 days later. You can get your refund even faster (within a few hours) if you paid with PayPal.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
ExpressVPN works with: Hulu, DAZN, Fox Sports, beIN Sports, BT Sport, YouTubeTV, Sling TV, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime Video, BBC Sport, Sky Go, AT&T TV, and more.
ExpressVPN is compatible with: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Chromebook, Kodi, Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, various smart TVs, select routers, and more.
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2. CyberGhost — Optimized Sports Streaming Servers to Safely Watch the NBA Playoffs
Key Features:
- 11,670 worldwide servers and thousands in the US for quality streams
- Has AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and more to protect online activity
- Watch NBA Playoff games on up to 7 devices simultaneously
- Customer support available through live chat or email
- 45-day money-back guarantee
CyberGhost’s optimized servers make it easy to safely enjoy lag-free streams of NBA playoff games. It has 4 dedicated sports streaming servers with NBA Playoff access (ESPN, Sling TV, Hulu, and YouTube TV) that are specially optimized for streaming. These will give you the least lag and fastest speeds for high-quality video, ensuring you don’t miss a single minute of the playoffs!
During tests, the slowest speed I reached with CyberGhost was 151Mbps with a New York server. So, the speeds are always fast enough for watching the games in UHD while multitasking online. The provider also supports multiple simultaneous connections, meaning you can watch NBA games on up to 7 devices at once!
You’ll also get AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and other safety features with CyberGhost for online safety and privacy. I ran multiple leak tests while connected to the VPN’s servers, and it never compromised my actual IP address.
You can try CyberGhost risk-free, as it has a 45-day money-back guarantee. I checked the policy by signing up for a 1-month plan and then contacted customer support through the live chat. Although the agent tried to convince me to stay, they immediately confirmed the refund after I told them I just didn’t need the service anymore. I received the refund transfer just 3 days later!
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as CyberGhost VPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
CyberGhost works with: Hulu, DAZN, Fox Sports, beIN Sports, BT Sport, YouTubeTV, Sling TV, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime Video, BBC Sport, and more.
CyberGhost is compatible with: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Kodi, various Smart TVs, select routers, and more.
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Generous Device Connection Allowance to Safely Watch the Playoffs With Friends and Family
Key Features:
- 35,000 servers across 91+ countries for catching the action
- Fast speeds and an unlimited data allowance
- Allows unlimited device connections
- 24/7 support through live chat and email
- 30-day money-back guarantee
PIA lets you share your VPN connection with your household so you can stay safe while watching the Playoffs together on unlimited devices. My team and I tested PIA with 10 devices and maintained high-quality streams during the tests. This means you’ll never have to miss a slam dunk because of lagging or interruptions.
PIA is a great option for new VPN users as its app interface is super user-friendly. It took me under a minute to set up my connection! All I had to do was select the US as my preferred country and press “On”.
The only minor downside to PIA is that its speeds tend to slow down based on your distance from the server. My colleague experienced slower speeds when they connected to the “US East” server from their location in California.
As with anything you’re potentially spending money on, I recommend you test PIA for yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I tested the refund myself by connecting to the 24/7 live chat to ask for a refund. The PIA agent approved my request within minutes and my money was back in my account within 6 working days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
PIA works with: BBC Sport, Amazon Prime Video, DAZN, Sky Sports, BT Sport, Hotstar VIP, NBC Sports, ESPN, Telemundo, fuboTV, Hulu+Live TV, YouTube TV, ESPN+, and more.
PIA is compatible with: Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, routers, Chrome, Firefox, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
Free VPNs Can’t Keep You Safe While Watching the 2024 NBA Playoffs — Here’s Why
I’ve done in-depth research on the best available free VPNs, but I wouldn’t recommend any for watching the NBA Playoffs due to technical or security issues.
Free VPNs are a bad choice for streaming because of their limited bandwidth, speeds, and small server networks. Because of the risk of overcrowding, these servers might become unstable quite swiftly, causing regular buffering or even full connection interruptions. Moreover, their restricted resources make it difficult to maintain their IP and DNS addresses accurately, making them ineffective in bypassing restrictions set by major streaming platforms.
Since free VPNs need to make money, they’re known to sell your personal information when you use them. Some even sell user data to advertisers or give malicious third parties access to your network.
You can avoid all of these issues by choosing a quality premium VPN with a money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has a large network of fast and responsive servers, making it perfect for streaming the NBA Playoffs. You can try it risk-free with its money-back guarantee.
FAQs on Safely Watching the NBA Playoffs
Can I watch the 2024 NBA Playoffs online for free?
There are no official high-quality free broadcasters, but several of the streaming services I listed have free trials you can use to stream the playoffs for free.
What else can a VPN do besides help me safely watch the NBA Playoffs?
With a reliable premium VPN, you can:
- Secure your devices and personal data. A VPN encrypts your devices, helping your data and internet traffic stay hidden from malicious parties and hackers. I always use a VPN on public WiFi to keep my devices secure from malicious users.
- Torrent anonymously. When I use a VPN, I receive a temporary new IP and DNS address, which ensures that these downloads are not linked to my actual identity.
Safely Watch the 2024 NBA Playoffs Today!
It’s safe to say that you need to protect yourself with a VPN before catching up on the intense NBA playoff action. Otherwise, you risk hackers spying on your activity, and you might even leak sensitive details like your IP address, thus compromising your privacy.
Thankfully, the above VPNs provide reliable security with military-grade encryption, leak protection, and other useful safety features.
Of my top choices, ExpressVPN is the best overall option. Besides securing your activity with AES 256-bit encryption and other features, ExpressVPN always maintains superfast connection speeds. Best of all, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free. The 30-day money-back guarantee lets you ask for a full refund if you’re unsatisfied with its performance.
Summary — These Are the Best VPNs to Watch the 2024 NBA Playoffs
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
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