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NBA 2026-2027 streaming guide: Making sense of total chaos

Jared Newman   |   October 16, 2026
Markus Spiske / Unsplash

2026 is an especially weird year for watching the NBA.

With the demise of regional FanDuel Sports Networks, and the league’s long-planned national streaming service at least a year away, many teams were suddenly in need of temporary plans for this season. The result is a patchwork of standalone streaming services, free over-the-air broadcasts, and traditional TV options that vary based on where you live.

You might think the NBA would try to help, perhaps with a single page that helps fans sort through all the viewing options, but no. Its website offers “how to watch” pages for only a small handful of teams, and most of those pages have incomplete information.

So once again, I will do what the league doesn’t, and put all your NBA viewing options in one place

Read the full column →

Weekly rewind

The new Apple TV 4K: Apple is releasing a new streaming box, with a few extra features and much higher price.

At $299, the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K has a faster processor and built-in microphones, enabling hands-free voice commands with a more conversational Siri. The remote now includes a speaker and Precision Finding support, both to help track the remote down through Apple’s Find My app when it inevitably slips between the couch cushions. The new box includes 128 GB of storage, so it’s $50 more than the equivalent previous model. Apple’s no longer selling a 64 GB version for less.

I understand that all device makers are dealing with out-of-control memory prices right now, but Apple seems to be losing the plot here. While I like my 3rd-gen Apple TV, I can’t say that it’s five times better than, say, Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro, which for $60 has the same hands-free voice control and remote-finding feature. Apple announced its new streaming box as part of a big push into smart homes, but it’s pricing its way to irrelevance on one of the most important smart home surfaces.

(If you have an older Apple TV, the new remote is available on its own as a $59 upgrade. You’ll also be able to use Apple’s overhauled Siri AI on the previous two Apple TV 4K models.)

More catch-up

Save more money

The folks at Slickdeals have found a clever way to save $10 on Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro streaming box:

  • Add the device to your cart for in-store pickup.
  • Add an inexpensive grocery item, like this banana.
  • From your cart, hit the “Continue to Checkout” button.
  • Look for the “Have a promo code?” option on the checkout page.
  • Try one of the following promo codes: FAST30, DOUBLE10, TRIPLE10, or SAVE3X.
  • Confirm that the “Estimated total” reflects the $10 discount.

This should get you the device for $50, plus tax. I have not reviewed this new iteration, but through the first-gen Onn 4K Pro was great.

Other notable deals:

  • No more $1 Paramount+ right now. I’ll keep looking. In the meantime, you can get half-off two months of Premium with code SHO2MO, or 30% off any annual plan with SAVEANNUAL30.
  • With Black Friday approaching, general reminder to consider cancelling services ahead of time. Disney+, Starz, and Paramount+ had good deals last year.
  • You may also get retention deals along the way. Starz offered me another year for $18.

As always, I have a full list of streaming deals on my website.

If you’ve purchased my Complete Guide to Cord Cutting, I’ll be adding the NBA info to my comparison tool soon. Stay tuned!

And if you haven’t, it’s just $10 to learn everything you need to know about finally ditching cable or satellite TV. Purchase the guide now and you’ll get all future updates at no extra charge.

Thanks for reading!

Got cord cutting questions for me? Reply to this email and I’ll do my best to answer.

Until next week,
Jared