How to watch Pelicans games in 2024 with and without cable: Full streaming guide

We're in the year 2024, which means that we're living in what's simultaneously both the most convenient time in human history and the worst era for information overload or straight up misinformation. This can apply to something as gravely serious as politics or something as trivial as watching professional sports games from the comfort of your own home.

I definitely don't have all the answers when it comes to government policies, but I can do my best to give New Orleans Pelicans fans a comprehensive viewing guide to ensure that they can always support their team. Some might say that what I'm doing is even more important than being a public servant.

You would think that paying for a streaming service or two would allow you to watch every single Pelicans game. After all, we're in the post-cable era now, aren't we? But, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. I've already highlighted some of the most enticing games on the Pelicans schedule this upcoming season. Now, I will share how to watch them and every other New Orleans Pelicans game for the 2024-25 NBA season.

How to watch New Orleans Pelicans games with cable

Every single NBA team has a local broadcast partner that will air most of their games for the fans that live in the area. For the Pelicans, their local provider was Bally Sports. Bally is an experienced sports broadcaster who currently has the rights to several MLB, NHL, and NBA teams. New Orleans cut ties with Bally this past summer, which is good news for the fans, as Bally did not have an on-air channel and required either an inclusive cable package or a streaming subscription.

This upcoming season, the Pelicans will be covered by Gray Television, with some of their games airing on Fox 8 and a majority of them showing on a brand new channel, the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network. This move objectively increases accessibility for local fans, and there are results to show it from last year. During the 2023-24 season, the Pelicans had seven of their games shown on Fox 8. Those broadcasts drew an average of over 40,000 viewers, which marked a 260 percent increase from the games that aired with Bally.

Local fans can rest assured knowing that they'll be able to catch the vast majority of Pelicans games for free (although you might need to get an antenna, which are massively underrated nowadays). New Orleans does have a handful of national TV games next year, though, for which you'll need to have cable.

National Broadcasts

How to watch New Orleans Pelicans games without cable

FuboTV

For Pelicans fans, most of the games will be on local TV, which means that a live TV streaming service will be mostly unnecessary. But, for anyone who already wants to be able to watch live TV and ensure that they'll be able to catch all of New Orleans's national games, FuboTV is a great option.

Subscribing to FuboTV should give all local fans access to Fox 8, the new Gulf Coast Sports channel, ESPN, and TNT. Plans start at $79.99 per month, but getting NBA TV in the package will cost $99.99 monthly. They do offer a seven-day free trial, as well.

Hulu + Live TV

Another great option, especially for enjoyers of Hulu, Disney, and ESPN+, is Hulu + Live TV, which offers an all-inclusive package with the aforementioned services for $76.99 a month. Like FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV also includes local channels at no extra cost, so any Pellies fans that sign up can skip out on buying an antenna.

This option is a bit cheaper than FuboTV, especially when factoring in the added services, but the downside is that it doesn't include NBA TV. Anyone looking to watch those games will have to sign up for League Pass or the NBA TV subscription through the NBA directly or another source. Hulu + Live TV also offers a free trial, but only for three days.

Sling TV

Sling TV comes in as by far the most affordable option for NBA fans. To get ESPN, TNT, and ABC, which covers most of the national broadcasts, Sling only charges $40 per month, including half of a new customer's first month. To add NBA TV, Sling offers a supplementary package for an additional $11 per month that also includes other appealing sports channels like MLB Network, NHL Network, and ESPN U.

Sling does not automatically include local channels in the New Orleans area, but they do offer a free digital antenna for any interested customers. The one glaring downside is that they aren't currently offering a free trial.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV takes the cake for having the most complete base plan, as it includes ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV — every channel needed to watch all national NBA games. They also include local channels, so no antenna is needed with a subscription. YouTube TV also boasts some fan-favorite features such as their highly praised multiview that allows four simultaneous streams to show at once. They also have an in-house NBA League Pass feature that's often said to be the best way to watch League Pass.

At $72.99 per month, it can be a pit pricey, but they're currently offering a three week trial and $8 off the first four months of a customer's subscription.

Out-of-Market Streaming Options

Any Pelicans currently outside of the local area can watch all the games with either a cable plan or a streaming option that includes ESPN and TNT, granted that they subscribe for NBA League Pass. League Pass will allow access to all of the local games, while cable or the streaming service cover the national ones.

League Pass starts at $109.99 per season or $16.99 per month. Those who are only interested in New Orleans games can choose the Team Pass for a reduced $89.99. There are a few other ways to get access to League Pass, including purchasing NBA 2K25 Hall of Fame edition.