How to watch Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025: Broadcast info and blackout rules

New York Times

12-02-2025

LOS ANGELES — Welcome, intrepid basketball appreciators and Southern California stargazers, to the next epoch of the Los Angeles Lakers. Pro basketball's glamour franchise has landed yet another generational superstar and global marketing force. It is happening again.
Luka Dončić made his Lakers debut Monday, Feb. 10, in a comfortable home win against the tuneless Utah Jazz. Figueroa Street was buzzing. Fluorescent yellow No. 77 shirts covered each seat. The crowd got loose and giddy as Dončić was introduced last, conspicuously after LeBron James. As it turns out, earlier that morning, the NBA's all-time leading scorer texted the newest Laker and conceded the honor to celebrate his first game.
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'The way they received me, everybody, it was amazing to see,' the Slovenian star said Monday night. 'I was a little nervous before. I mean, I don't know the last time I was nervous before a game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. Just being out there again felt amazing. It's a new team, a new … everything.'
The whole world pictures the Lakers rollin' right now. The allure of the purple and gold is unwavering, of course — this team led the league in national TV looks well before the fever dream trade. But with increased attention and a new extension added to the bandwagon, it's worth acknowledging how labyrinthine the NBA viewing process is right now. Different games are on different channels, not every cable provider carries the regional sports network, and the new media deal that kicks in this fall puts even more streaming apps in rotation. It's frustrating and confusing, two words that should not describe watching a basketball team with LeBron James and Luka Dončić. Here's our best effort to lay everything out, make sense of the changing schedule and figure out how much it costs to watch every single Lakers game.
Make sure you're following the team on The Athletic. Jovan Buha is one of the best beat writers in the sport, covering these Lakers with precision and passion.
You can stream the Lakers and watch NBA League Pass on Fubo (try it for free).
The Lakers territory, designated by the NBA, includes all of Southern California, Southern Nevada and Hawaii. If you're in there, you'll need access to the regional Spectrum SportsNet one way or another. Unfortunately, Spectrum's SportsNet is not carried by all providers. Right now, it's on AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Cox, DirecTV, Bright House Networks and, of course, Spectrum Cable.
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If switching your cable situation isn't going to happen, you can get the games with Spectrum SportsNet+, a standalone subscription at $19.99 per month. Spectrum also carries the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sparks and Galaxy.
The pregame show has Chris McGee, Allie Clifton and longtime sportswriter Mike Bresnahan. There's also a stacked squad of former Lakers: 'Big Game' James Worthy, Robert 'Big Shot Bob' Horry, the ever-clutch Metta Sandiford-Artest and five-time champion Derek Fisher.
The game broadcast itself is top-notch. Bill Macdonald has established himself as one of the smoother and more reliable play-by-play calls, while Stu Lantz has been at this for the Lakers across four decades. He was the man alongside Chick Hearn during Showtime, putting color into the proceedings and the game in the refrigerator.
What you need to watch these games: A cable provider with Spectrum SportsNet, or a subscription to Spectrum SportsNet+.
From expatriated Angelenos to loyalists in Ljubljana, everyone outside of the market can watch local broadcasts on League Pass. You also have the option to see in-arena video instead of commercials.
What you need to watch these games: NBA League Pass
The Lakers are on national TV a lot — at least a quarter of their schedule in primetime in any given year. If you know ball, you already associate days of the week with channel acronyms. Tuesdays and Thursdays are on TNT, Wednesdays and Fridays mean ESPN and weekends go to ABC. For the uninitiated or the forgetful, here's what to consider.
This is your Saturday night or Sunday afternoon weekend headliner. It's the network that first broadcasted NBA games back in 1965, and it's the home of the Finals come June. Mike Breen is the sport's gold standard for play-by-play — his 'bang' call codifies superstars and trumpets historic moments. Doris Burke is his reliable pick-and-roll partner. Other rotating broadcasters include Ryan Ruocco, Mark Jones, Michael Grady and Dave Pasch, who called Dončić's debut. The ABC showcase began with a triple-header on Saturday, Jan. 25. It runs through Mar. 16.
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What you need to watch these games: A broadcast antenna will suffice, though ABC is also available on any cable provider or streaming service.
Because these are Disney properties, like ABC, you can catch Breen and company here, too. But ESPN usually does Wednesday and Friday games, preceding those broadcasts with NBA Countdown. That's where you'll often see Stephen A. Smith do his uniquely Stephen A. Smith thing and where former pro players like Richard Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins and Chiney Ogwumike make the rounds.
What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers have these channels. You can also subscribe to ESPN+, Disney+ or Hulu via add-on.
Your Tuesday and Thursday action. These broadcasts open with the always-entertaining, sometimes-absurd 'Inside the NBA' … until the end of this season, at least. Its parent company (Warner Bros. Discovery) will license the Shaq-Chuck staple to ESPN next fall as part of the league's new 11-year media deal. Ernie Johnson has hosted TNT's studio show since 1990. Play-by-play is done by Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Brian Anderson and Spero Dedes, who was the Lakers' radio voice from 2005-11. Analysts include Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, Grant Hill and Los Angeles Sparks icon Candace Parker.
What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers include TNT. Otherwise, some games are available on Max via the B/R Sports add-on.
If you're out of market, you'll get a few Lakers games here. If you're in the market and don't have access to Spectrum, well, this is where the searing blackout headaches begin.
NBA TV is owned by the league and features in-house programming like 'Hardwood Classics' and career retrospectives. There's a lot of fun stuff on the Showtime Lakers, and the 2000 WCF Game 7 comeback rightfully gets a lot of replays. But the actual live games on NBA TV are simulcast from the home team's local broadcast. You'll get Bill and Stu whenever the Lakers are home at their downtown digs.
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What you need to watch these games: Most cable providers offer NBA TV, though some require paying more for it. It's available as part of a League Pass subscription, and the league offers NBA TV as a standalone channel for $8.99/month. It's also available via Fubo or Prime Video via add-on.
Starting with the 2025-26 campaign, the NBA will have new national TV partners. Disney re-upped, meaning that ESPN and ABC stay in the mix. But Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) is out in favor of Comcast (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). As part of a recent legal settlement, TNT will still retain global rights outside the United States and will license 'Inside the NBA' to Disney.
Going forward, the league will have national broadcasts all seven days of the week. Peacock will yield a Monday doubleheader, while NBC affiliates will air Tuesday games. ESPN will have its usual Wednesday action. Prime will now have NBA games on Thursdays — following the conclusion of its 'Thursday Night Football' programming — and a pair of Friday night showcases.
Saturdays will still be on ABC. And the weekend will conclude on Sundays with NBC games once 'Sunday Night Football' is over.
Brace yourselves. Here's the breakdown:
Once the new media deal goes into effect next season, you'll also need to factor in two new services for national games — Peacock ($7.99/month) and Prime ($8.99/month). NBA zealots trying to watch every game will undoubtedly get even more annoyed. But casual fans will be happy and new fans will flock, with more games streamed on commonly subscribed-to platforms. And they'll see a lot of Lake Show — this team will almost certainly lead the league in primetime broadcasts next year, too.
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)