How to watch 2023 NBA Finals: live stream Heat vs Nuggets online and on TV

By Aatif Sulleyman
last updated

A hoops icon will finally win their ring – will it be Butler or Jokic?

2023 NBA FInals
(Image credit: NBA.com)
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Live stream NBA Finals 2023

Looking for an NBA Finals live stream? It's free to watch in Australia via Kayo Sports' 7-day trial. Both ABC (via FuboTV) and ESPN3 (via Sling) are showing the entire Heat vs Nuggets series in the US, while it's split between TSN and Sportsnet in Canada. Sky Sports is televising the NBA Finals in the UK. Outside your home country right now? Simply use a VPN to watch your preferred NBA Finals live stream from anywhere.

NBA Finals 2023: Game 1 preview

NBA history will be made and one of two hoops icons will finally get their ring as the Miami Heat face the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals. The Heat could become the first No.8 seed to lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, while the Nuggets are on a very special journey of their own. After more than 40 years of pain, this is the first time they've ever reached the big one.

It's remarkable to think that the Heat were moments from not making the playoffs at all, after losing the opening game of the play-in! Since then, they've delighted in making a mockery of the odds at every stage, taking down Giannis' Bucks, Brunson's Knicks, and Tatum's Celtics en route to the NBA Finals. The most unlikely run ever? It's certainly up there.

What more can be said about Erik Spoelstra? He's turned a team of underdogs and misfits into a beacon of hope for underdogs and misfits everywhere. The elephant in the room, of course, is the frightening form of Nikola Jokic, but if there's anyone capable of concocting a gameplan that could at least hamper the Serb, it's Spoelstra.

All evidence suggests that the Joker can't be stopped, but if the improbable were to somehow transpire, well, then there's Jamal Murray. If he was on any other team he'd be getting far more plaudits than he has so far, but we imagine a ring would make up for it.

There's no question that the Nuggets have the deeper roster and a higher ceiling, but the Heat seem to thrive on being written off, nobody more so than Mr. Playoffs himself, Jimmy Butler. At the age of 33, this could be Buckets' one and only shot at glory, and you wouldn't rule out the most clutch player in the game reaching out and taking it.

Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals tips off at 8.30 pm ET / 1.30 am BST tonight, Thursday 1st June, at Ball Arena. Make sure you know how to watch an NBA Finals live stream.

USA: Watch a 2023 NBA Finals live stream

In the USA, both ABC and ESPN3 will show every single game of the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the series is also being live-streamed on ESPN Plus.

Game 1 is set to tip off at 8.30 pm ET / 5.30 pm PT tonight (Thursday).

If you don't have cable access to ABC, it's actually cheaper to watch the NBA Finals on a streaming service, such as Sling or FuboTV...

FuboTV Free 7-day trial | $74.99 a month

FuboTV Free 7-day trial | $74.99 a month
Fubo TV includes ABC (plus CBS, NBC, and Fox) so it's a great way to stream sports, including the 2023 NBA Finals. The app supports Roku, Fire TV, and iOS/Android devices. No contract, cancel anytime.

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NBA Finals on Sling TV 50% off your first month

NBA Finals on Sling TV 50% off your first month
Sling Orange provides streaming access to ESPN3. A subscription costs $40 each month, but you'll get $10 off your first month. There's no contract and you can cancel at any time. What's to lose?

Watch a 2023 NBA Finals live stream from anywhere

Most NBA live streams are location-sensitive. So, you won't be able to access your usual coverage when traveling away from home. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a small but powerful app that lets you select your preferred location and quickly unblock any NBA Finals live stream.

ExpressVPN is our pick of the best VPN services. It's affordable, fast, and easy to use. Try it risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch free F1 live streams on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console, and more. There's 24/7 customer support, too. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is. Five stars.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch free F1 live streams on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console, and more. There's 24/7 customer support, too. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is. Five stars.

For the best value, try the 12-month subscription

Australia: NBA Finals live stream

Kayo Sports FREE trial

Game 1 is set to begin at 10.30 am AEST on Friday morning, and hoops fans in Australia can watch at least some of the NBA Finals for free by signing up for a one-week Kayo Sports FREE trial.

There are no lock-in contracts for the streaming service and it provides access to over 50 other sports events including the NRL, F1, NHL, MLB, as well as international cricket.

After that, you'll be bumped onto a rolling one-month contract. One is AU$25; Basic is $30; Premium is $35.

Alternatively, there's the NBA League Pass, which costs AU$21.99 after a 7-day FREE trial.

For those wanting to watch home coverage of the NBA from overseas, a good VPN will sort you out.

UK: NBA Finals live stream

The 2023 NBA Finals will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena in the UK, with tip-off for Game 1 set for 1.30 am BST on Thursday night/Friday morning.

Take a look at the best Sky TV deals if you're interested in watching this game and plenty more live sports in top quality.

Even without a full Sky subscription, though, fans can enjoy a Heat vs Nuggets live stream with a Now day pass or a monthly pass. Here is our pick of the best Now deals.

BT Sport customers can also enjoy the game so long as they're subscribed to the BT Sport Big Bundle, which includes the Sky Sports channels as well as the BT ones. You can add it to your BT package for £40 per month.

Virgin Media customers are able to watch the NBA Finals with a Sky Sports subscription through the Virgin Media’s Bigger + Sports bundle.

If you have a Virgin TiVo box and access to BT or Sky, you can watch on the go through Virgin's TV Anywhere app. 

You can also tune into the Heat vs Nuggets via the NBA League Pass streaming service, which now costs £14.99 after a 7-day FREE trial.

Aatif Sulleyman
Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. An avid armchair sports fan, he devours everything from football and Formula 1 to tennis, rugby and cricket. If you need to know where to watch the big game this weekend, Aatif can tell you what TV channel it's on and the exact start time (in eight different time zones). Elsewhere, Aatif has written about technology, science and politics for publications such as the The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but he focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.