Two basketball heavyweights are going head to head at the Scotiabank Arena this weekend, as the LA Lakers take on the Toronto Raptors at 8.30pm ET (5.30pm PT) Saturday August 1. There’s certainly going to be a clash at the Raptors’ home stadium this weekend, as the defending champions take on the Lakers, favorites to win the 2020 season. We’re showing you how to watch a Raptors vs Lakers live stream so you can watch NBA games online this weekend.
Raptors vs Lakers live stream
The Raptors vs Lakers game will be broadcast via ESPN at 8.30pm ET / 5.30pm PT on Saturday August 1. If you’re watching from Canada, however, you’ll be able to watch the full game on Sportsnet One at the same time. UK viewers will find coverage on Sky Sports starting at 1.30am on Sunday August 2.
Both the Raptors and the Lakers have big name personalities sitting on their benches. Between LeBron James and Pascal Siakam, the NBA’s two biggest teams have their fair share of legendary players. And they’re all hitting the court this weekend, in the return of a game previously tabled in March after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
The Lakers haven’t won a game against the Raptors since 2014, so they’re coming in hot off a 10-game losing streak in this matchup. The Raptors, meanwhile, are riding their previous Championship title straight into the 2020 season. Things have changed, though, and since Kawhi Leonard’s departure from the team, dynamics in Toronto have been shaken up. Siakam looks set to keep making up those points, with a 23.6 PPG average, but whether that’s enough to shake the legendary LeBron James (and his league-leading 10.6 assist average) remains to be seen.
This weekend’s game will see 2019’s Champions defending their title against this season’s favorites to win, in a game that may well set a precedent for the rest of 2020’s games. On paper James wins out against Siakam, but there’s always that defending fire to keep the points on the Raptor’s side.
If you’re looking to watch Raptors vs Lakers online this weekend, you’ll want to find yourself an NBA live stream. We’re showing you how to watch this matchup just below, with viewing options for the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.
How to watch NBA blackout games and stream basketball from abroad
Raptors games constitute a coverage blackout in Canada, and you won’t be able to watch online if you’re in LA either. If you’re looking for a Raptors vs Lakers live stream to get around these restrictions, there are plenty of options for watching online that won’t have you searching through shady websites.
The best way to watch NBA online through geo-blocking or blackout restrictions is by picking up a VPN. This handy piece of software protects your privacy online, and in doing so masks your location. You can take it one step further to select a new location and watch Raptors vs Lakers online as if you were in a completely different country or state.
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Raptors vs Lakers live stream: how to watch the NBA in the US
The Raptors vs Lakers game will be shown on ESPN at 8.30pm ET / 5.30pm PT. If you’ve not already got access to ESPN, however, you can always pick up a Sling Orange package for just $30 a month. You’re getting all of ESPN and TNT’s nationally televised games with this package, as well as a range of other shows and channels as well. For more basketball, you can even add NBA TV for an extra $10 a month.
Plus, there’s also a FREE Sling TV trial available right now, which means you’ll be able to watch the Raptors vs Lakers free online this weekend.
Your other option is an NBA League Passwhich, when combined with an NBA TV subscription, will get you full access to on demand and live games for under $50. Blackout restrictions do still apply, so if you’re cheering on your home team you’ll need to find yourself a quality VPN.
How to watch Raptors vs Lakers online in the UK
This season’s UK NBA coverage is available from Sky Sports, but you’ll have to stay up to catch this one. The game will take place at 1.30am on Sunday August 2, and if you’re not a full Sky customer you can also catch these channels with BT and Virgin Media TV packages.
It’s a lot to take out a full Sky contract to watch one NBA game, however – especially at 1.30 in the morning. If you’re just here for the sports, you’ll want to pick up a Now TV Sky Sports Pass, which offers 11 Sky Sports channels at a £33.99 rate with the Monthly Pass.
If you’re not fussed about football, cricket or F1, the NBA League Passmay be a better fit. For £42.99 you’ll be able to watch the rest of the season as it happens, and catch up on previous games whenever you choose.
If you’re looking to watch tonight’s game 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 Pelicans vs Clippers online: NBA live streams in Canada
If you’re supporting from Canada, you’ve got SportsNet One to thank for your coverage of Saturday’s game. If you’re not signed up through your cable package, however, you can still catch a Raptors vs Lakers live stream using Sportsnew NOW, a $9.99 subscription service that lets you watch live.
The NBA League Pass is another option for future games, but this particular matchup is subject to blackouts in Canada. That means you’ll need to grab a VPN to change your location before being able to watch through the League Pass.
How to watch NBA online: catch a Jazz vs Pelicans live stream in Australia
Australia is covered for ESPN coverage by Foxteland Kayo Sports, with the Raptors vs Lakers live stream tipping off at 10.30am AEST on Sunday August 2. Foxtel’s NBA coverage is pretty easy to source if you already use the media giant’s service to watch all your channels.
If you haven’t already sorted a Foxtel subscription however, we’d recommend going with Kayo Sports for better value. With a $25 and $35 monthly price, you’re paying far less for your sports content, and there’s even a 14-day FREE TRIALon offer right now as well.
The NBA League Pass is your second option if you want to watch Raptors vs Lakers online. On top of the full roster of NBA games so far, and in the future, you’re also getting plenty of extra content around each matchup as well.
NBA League Pass: the best way to live stream the NBA online?
If you’re looking to live stream the NBA this weekend, you will have almost certainly heard of NBA League Pass. Is this all-in-one streaming service worth your cash, though?
The answer is, probably, yes. If you’re watching from the US you are still vulnerable to blackouts when your home team is playing, and there is also the larger caveat that nationally broadcast games won’t be streaming on the League Pass itself. To watch those you’ll also have to bundle in an NBA TV subscription. The good news is that both of these services come together for under $50, or you can upgrade to League Pass Premium for $59.98. That’s not a bad price for commercial-free games, on demand streaming and bags of extra content in an annual fee.
If those pesky blackouts are wearing you down, however, you can also use the the VPN workaround outlined above to watch NBA online from anywhere in the world.
Where the NBA League Pass really comes into its own, however, is in its international packages. These services aren’t subject to the same rules surrounding nationally televised games, or blackout restrictions. Plus, they come out at a decent price as well, especially considering the more expensive cable TV or TV provider package options. For example, in the UK a £42.99 annual fee gets you access to every remaining NBA game as well as the whole backlog of on demand matchups as well.
If you’re out of the country you have registered your NBA League Pass account to, you can always use a VPN to watch as usual. We’ve rated a range of services and found ExpressVPN to be the best, and what’s more there’s even a free trial available so you can watch NBA games online for free this weekend.