In arguably the most hotly anticipated of the four NBA conference semi-final showdowns, Milwaukee takes on Miami in a best-of-seven series at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista this week. Read on for our guide to watching a Bucks vs Heat live stream and catch all the 2020 NBA playoff action online from anywhere today.
Bucks vs Heat live stream
Game 1 of the Bucks vs Heat is on Monday, August 31 and the two teams play every other day in this best-of-seven series, which will last until at least September 6 (game 4) and no longer than September 12 (game 7, if necessary). Full TV and streaming details are below – and you can enjoy your preferred coverage wherever you are with ExpressVPN – get 3-months FREE with this deal.
The match-up sees No. 5 seed the Miami Heat looking to pull off a major upset over the top-seeded Bucks. Despite an inexperienced line-up, Miami wrestled their way into the playoffs and eased past the higher-ranked Indiana Pacers in round 1. Now, they face their biggest challenge of the season in trying to overcome Milwaukee and back-to-back NBA MVP Giannis ‘The Greek Freak’ Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have chalked up the best record in the league for two seasons on the trot – for a reason. They looked in unstoppable at times in dispatching the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round, further raising expectations that they’re not only the best team in the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA.
Anything less than a spot in the 2020 NBA Finals would be seen by many as a failure, yet the Heat are no pushover. In fact, they’re the only Eastern Conference team to earn multiple wins over the Bucks this season, having won two of the three contests between the two.
No one else might give them a hope in Hades, but the Heat will quietly fancy their chances. See how it all pans out on the Disney World parquet – simply follow our guide below to watch the Bucks vs Heat online and get an NBA live stream from anywhere today.
How to watch the 2020 NBA playoffs from abroad
You may not be able to watch the Bucks vs Heat series using your usual cable TV or streaming service, due to coverage blackout rules in the US or international geo-blocking restrictions.
When this is is the case, the simplest and most reliable solution is to use a VPN service, which masks your IP address – and therefore your location – when you visit a website. On top of that, it gives you the ability to reroute your device’s internet connection through a server in a different country or state, thereby getting you access to coverage that might not otherwise be available – even though you probably pay for it.
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Bucks vs Heat live stream: how to watch game 1 of the NBA playoff series in the US
This semi-final series showdown between Giannis Antetokounmp’s Milwaukee Bucks and Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat is being shown nationally, with games therefore possible on ESPN, TNT and ABC. Game 1 is on TNT with tip-off scheduled for 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT.
If you’ve got cable, that means it’s easy, as you can stream Bucks vs Heat games online with ESPN and TNT , as well as ABC – just log in with details of your TV provider for access.
If you don’t have cable, then you’ll need to look at accessing these channels another way – namely, via an over-the-top streaming service service. Of these, Sling TV is easily your best option.
A Sling Orange package costs just $30 a month and gets you both TNT and ESPN, meaning you’re covered for six out of the potential seven games of the series – plus there’s currently a FREE Sling TV trial up for grabs, which means you’ll be able to watch a couple of Bucks vs Heat games without dropping a dime.
Or if you’re not too happy about picking up a Sling TV subscription just for sports, you can grab an NBA TV Pass for just $6.99 a month of $19.99 annually. This will get you coverage of all nationally televised games for a great price – but it is subject to blackout restrictions for in-market games when they apply.
However, you can get around this by grabbing a quality VPN if you live in the same area your favorite team is based.
Bucks vs Heat live stream: how to watch NBA playoff basketball in the UK
If you’re in the UK, then Sky Sports is the home of everything NBA and is airing a game a night during the first round of the 2020 playoffs. The channel is operated by Sky, but you can also watch these channels with BT and Virgin Media TV packages.
Sky has yet to confirm if it’s showing tonight’s game – if it does, it’ll likely be in the 11.30pm BST slot on Sky Sports Arena.
Further down the line, this series is almost certain to get a good amount of air time – and there are more cost effective options than signing up for the full commitment of a Sky contract so you don’t feel like every game that’s left out is stopping you from getting a mortgage.
A Now TV Sky Sports Pass offers all 11 Sky Sports channels to watch and can be cancelled at any time. As well as the NBA, there’s also loads of football, cricket, golf, and F1 action, with pricing that starts at £9.99 for a day’s use – but we’d highly recommend the better value Monthly Pass for the majority of viewers. £33.99 gets you coverage of the rest of the season as well as early playoff games as well as the full month of content from other sports as well.
If you’re really only interested in an NBA live stream, you could also consider an NBA League Pass, which is an all-in-one subscription that offers every game left in the season on a range of devices. An annual pass comes in at £42.99, which is far better value than the £24.99 monthly pass, but you can also grab a seven day free trial if you’re just looking to watch a Bucks vs Heat live steam.
If you’re looking to watch Bucks vs Heat from abroad, you might be geo-blocked out of some of these viewing options. Using a reliable VPN can easily get around this so you can get back to the game.
How to watch the Bucks vs Heat: live stream the 2020 NBA playoffs in Canada
TSN is the place to turn for coverage of game 1 of this Eastern Conference semi-final series between the Bucks and Heat.
With TSN widely available on cable, catching the NBA online shouldn’t be difficult for these Canadian viewers – simply enter the details of your TV provider into the network’s website to watch.
However, if you don’t subscribe through cable TV, you can also use TSN Direct, with a $19.99 monthly subscription cost.
You’ll also be able to watch the Bucks vs Heat online with NBA League Pass, but Raptors games are subject blackouts. That’s not an insurmountable problem, however, as with a VPN can easily swap your location so you can still live stream it all.
All times are the same as in the US as per the schedule above.
Bucks vs Heat live stream: how to watch the 2020 NBA playoffs online in Australia
There are two options for Australian viewers wanting to tune in to the 2019/20 NBA regular season restart.
The first is through cable and, more specifically, Foxtel. It offers ESPN, which is the home of NBA basketball Down Under, but will require you to commit to a contract.
If that’s not for you, then excellent value streaming service Kayo Sports also has you covered for all things ESPN and can be cancelled at any time – so we’d recommend looking into this option first.
Costing either $25 or $35 monthly, it’s far cheaper than Foxtel and you can grab a 14-day FREE TRIAL to test it out. Perhaps best of all, a single subscription can be used simultaneously across multiple devices, meaning you can share one with family or friends and pay less.
Kayo will carrying Match 1 live, with tip-off Down Under at 8.30am AEST on Tuesday morning.
Fans of the two teams wanting to be 110% sure can always grab further games in the series also have the option of an NBA League Pass.
Bucks vs Heat: Eastern Conference semi-final schedule and TV channels
Here’s how the Bucks vs Heat series looks this August and September.
- Game 1: Monday, Aug. 31, 6:30 p.m. I TNT
- Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 2, 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 3: Friday, Sept. 4, TBD | TBD
- Game 4: Sunday, Sept. 6, TBD | TBD
- Game 5: Tuesday, Sept. 8, TBD | TBD*
- Game 6: Thursday, Sept. 10, TBD | TBD*
- Game 7: Sunday, Sept. 12 TBD | TBD*
NBA League Pass: the best way to live stream the NBA online?
If you’ve been shopping for ways to pick up a Bucks vs Heat live stream online, then you’ve likely come across the NBA League Pass. As the league’s official streaming service, it offers coverage of plenty of games and is available all around the world.
However, if you’re in the US, you’ll find a reduced-price subscription now available for $28.99. The caveat is that it doesn’t include any nationally televised games. That means you’ll still have to turn to ESPN, ABC, NBA TV or TNT.
The solution? Adding an NBA TV subscription to your account (available for $19.99) will give you access to full coverage, or you can bundle League Pass Premium with an NBA TV package for $59.98 for every game in all its commercial-free glory.
However, in the case of the playoffs, an NBA TV subscription alone will cover you for most games in the US, due to some clever scheduling by those in charge.
Note that NBA League Pass and NBA TV subscriptions are subject to blackout rules, meaning that if you live in the same area as your favorite team, you won’t be able to watch them – unless you utilize the VPN workaround as explained above, of course.
NBA League Pass is an international service, so you’ll be able to find different packages to suit international markets as well. In the UK, for example, a £42.99 annual fee gets you access to every remaining NBA game, without blackout restrictions or qualms over nationally televised broadcasts.
As ever, if you’re out of the country you subscribed to NBA League Pass in, it’s likely you can use a VPN to get around these restrictions – based on comprehensive testing, we rate ExpressVPN as the best and it offers a free trial so you can check it out, no strings attached.