Sling TV is coming up clutch for basketball fans who also happen to be cord cutters.
The DISH-owned streaming service announced Thursday — just as Game 1 of the NBA Finals started on ABC — that it is offering a free preview of its “Broadcast Extra” add-on pack that includes the local ABC stream. Those living in Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco are eligible for the promotion. Sorry, Cavs fans — you’re not included for this one.
Existing users in those markets will automatically see the new channels added to their service. New users can sign up for a 7-day trial — the promotion lasts through the NBA Finals, though.
The add-on typically costs $5 per month and includes ABC, Univision and UniMás.
ABC is broadcasting the NBA Finals and streaming the games on WatchESPN.com. An ESPN spokesperson told GeekWire this week that the WatchESPN stream requires “authentication,” though I was able to stream Game 1 on Thursday via my laptop and smartphone without logging in.
Sling TV customers can also stream the action by logging in to WatchESPN with their credentials. Sling TV is now available on almost any platform, including iOS, Android, Roku players, Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One and PCs.
Cord cutters that have a TV but no cable connection can snag an over-the-air antenna to watch ABC. Brian Chen at The New York Times has a good rundown of antennas you can buy online and reminds you to check your proximity to nearby transmitters.
