How to watch the Chicago Bulls in 2025: See red … amid regional blackouts and a new network

New York Times

28-01-2025

It's never been harder for Chicago Bulls fans to watch Bulls games than it is right now. Yeah, the team itself is middling and frustrating, but we're taking this literally. In-market cable blackouts are at an all-time high.
Cutaway to the installation of rabbit ears antennas, which is as thoroughly 1990s as this Bulls banger. Lead us down Madison, Ray Clay!
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This is your guide to circumventing the madness — or at least refreshing your memory on all the different broadcasts.
You can stream the Bulls and watch NBA League Pass on Fubo (try it for free).
Even though this iteration of the Bulls leaves much to be desired, Adam Amin and Stacey King are two of the best in the business. Home crowds at the United Center are consistently loud. Benny the Bull is the league's most deranged mascot, leaving deluges of popcorn in his path of devastation. Fans on League Pass can even get emotionally invested in Cuppy Coffee's 1,200-meter waddle.
Make sure you're following the Bulls in your feed on The Athletic. Our beat writer, Darnell Mayberry, is observant and thoughtful in his analysis. And founding editor Jon Greenberg hails from Chicago, dispatching from the city in big moments.
Chicagoland used to be able to watch games on NBC Sports Chicago, formerly Comcast SportsNet, but that 20-year-old network ceased to exist as of last October. Now, there's this whole new thing called the Chicago Sports Network, or CHSN.
Like the previous endeavor, CHSN is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf (Bulls, White Sox) and the Wirtz Corporation (owners of the Blackhawks). All this should be wholly irrelevant to the people watching these teams, but the channel change has left a lot of cable customers in the dark. Right now, the only carriers with Chicago Sports Network are Fubo, DirecTV, Astound Broadband and AT&T U-Verse. Folks who previously signed up for Comcast to access the regional sports network are unenthused right now.
CHSN is also available as a standalone streamer. Subscriptions start at $19.99 per month for one team or $29.99 for the trio of Bulls, Blackhawks and White Sox.
The good news: For the first time since the halcyon days of WGN, all locally-televised Bulls games will be free to watch over the air. Tuner sales are probably surging across Cook County.
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Once you've actually secured access, the broadcasts themselves are a delight. Amin is a fantastic play-by-play caller. King, the former reserve center for the Bulls' first three-peat, is as inventive with the English language as Kurt Vonnegut or the Wu-Tang Clan. Mismatches prompt a gleeful 'mouse in the house,' while big finishes get 'gimme the hot sauce!' We should all internalize this all-time Kingism: 'If you're scared, get a dog.' And if you had forgotten about 'let me step back and kiss myself,' well, now you haven't.
What you need to watch these games: A cable provider that has CHSN (Fubo, DirecTV, Astound and U-Verse), or a subscription to CHSN, or a broadcast antenna.
Maybe you pledged allegiance to this team during the six-ring dynasty. Perhaps you're in the Carolinas, and Coby White is your demigod. Most likely, you're an Illinois expat who wants to stay up on things or an international supporter who caught fandom in the Jordan Era. Out-of-market Bulls fans can access all regional games via League Pass. The package starts at $16.99 per month, but getting it mid-season goes for just $9.99 monthly.
What you need to watch these games: NBA League Pass.
In general, 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 everything to consider for Chicago's primetime looks.
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, Dave Pasch and Michael Grady. The ABC showcase begins 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. Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Brian Anderson and Spero Dedes are among those on play-by-play, and analysts include Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, Grant Hill and hometown hero 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 Bulls games here. NBA TV is owned by the league and features in-house programming like 'Hardwood Classics' and career retrospectives. But the actual live games on NBA TV are simulcast from the home team's local broadcast. There's usually a game here whenever the national partners don't have anything.
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 NBA also offers NBA TV as a standalone channel for $8.99/month. It's also available via Fubo or Prime Video via add-on.
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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.
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(Photo by Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)