The only sure thing in the 2023 NBA draft is that 7-foot-4-inch French sensation Victor Wembanyama will be the top overall pick and begin his NBA career in San Antonio. It gets murky after that. Will forward Brandon Miller from Alabama or guard Scoot Henderson from the G League be the next pick? Where will twins Amen and Ausar Thompson from the Overtime Elite league end up? Will we see draft-day trades that put Zion Williamson or Damian Lillard on the move? Answers are forthcoming.
The NBA draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ABC and ESPN. Here’s how you can watch all the picks without cable wherever you are in the world.
Victor Wembanyama is widely expected to be the first pick of the 2023 NBA draft.
Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
Livestream the draft in the US
You can livestream the draft on WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app, but you will need to prove you have a TV subscription that includes ESPN or an ESPN Plus account. If you don’t have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can watch the NBA Draft with a live TV streaming service. All five of the major services offer ABC and ESPN.
Alternatively, if you live in an area with good reception, you can watch the first round of the draft on ABC on over-the-air broadcast channels just by attaching an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV.
Livestream the NBA draft in the UK
Hoop fans in the UK can watch the draft live on Sky Sports. The NBA draft will be broadcast on its Sky Sports Main Event channel. Coverage begins at 1 a.m. BST on Friday, June 23.
Livestream the NBA draft in Canada
Canadian basketball fans can watch the draft on TSN4 with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Livestream the NBA draft in Australia
The NBA draft can be watched Down Under on ESPN via streaming service Kayo Sports.
Quick tips for streaming the NBA draft using a VPN
- With four variables at play – your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN – your experience and success when streaming the NBA draft may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the tournament after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs – like Roku – don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
