How to Watch Playoff NBA Games with a League Pass VPN

Using a VPN that works with NBA League Pass is the easiest way to live stream blackout NBA games.

By connecting to a VPN server, you can change your IP address to a location outside of the blackout region.

We found that you can watch nationally blacked-out games on NBA League Pass, like playoff games, by connecting to a VPN server in the Netherlands or Germany.

For games subject to local blackout restrictions, we recommend connecting to a server in a nearby state instead. That way, your download speeds will remain as fast as possible.

To help you find the best server and VPN service for what you want to watch, use the table below:

Broadcast Channel	Blackout Region	Best VPN Server Location	Compatible VPNs
NBA League Pass & NBA TV	Local	Nearby state	ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, Surfshark
ESPN, TNT, ABC	National	Netherlands or Germany	ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, Windscribe

While setting up a VPN to bypass NBA blackouts is straightforward on Windows and Mac, it’s complicated for other devices such as Roku and Android, which require many additional steps.

It’s also not possible to watch blackout NBA games on an iPhone or Apple TV, as these devices aren’t compatible with GPS spoofing apps.

In the following sections, we’ll show you step-by-step how to watch blackout NBA games on every possible platform.

Desktop or Laptop (Windows & Mac)

To watch every NBA game on Windows and Mac, simply connect to a VPN server outside of the blackout territory and open NBA League Pass in your web browser.

Watch us using ExpressVPN to change our IP address location on NBA League Pass in the video below:

Mobile (Android)

On the mobile app, NBA League Pass determines your location by using your GPS location, not your IP address location. Therefore, the vast majority of VPN services will not work.

Thankfully, a few VPNs can spoof your GPS location on Android devices. Surfshark and Windscribe are the only NBA League Pass VPNs that have this feature.

This method won’t work on an iPhone, though, as iOS prevents GPS spoofing. But there is a workaround for iPadOS.

Amazon Fire TV

Accessing geo-blocked NBA games is easy on Firestick and Android TV devices. As long as your VPN service has an app for these streaming devices, simply open the app and connect to a server location where the game isn’t blacked out.

Roku & Chromecast

You can’t install VPNs onto Roku or most Chromecast devices. These devices also don’t support manual DNS addresses, making them incompatible with Smart DNS tools.

The easiest way to bypass geo-blocks on Chromecast and Roku is by setting up a virtual router from your Windows PC.

Use our table below to find out which popular basketball teams you’re blocked from viewing, based on your real location or the location of your VPN server’s IP address.

To gain access to the game, simply connect to a VPN server in one of our recommended locations.

IP Address Location	Blacked Out Team	Recommended VPN Server Location
Boston	Boston Celtics	New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto
Brooklyn	Brooklyn Nets	New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto
Chicago	Chicago Bulls	Milwaukee, Detroit, Toronto
Dallas	Dallas Mavericks	Houston, Austin, Los Angeles
San Francisco	Golden State Warriors	Seattle, Las Vegas
Houston	Houston Rockets	New Orleans, Memphis
Los Angeles	LA Lakers	Las Vegas, Phoenix
Miami	Miami Heat	Atlanta, New Orleans
Philadelphia	Philadelphia 76ers	New York City, Washington DC
Toronto	Toronto Raptors	Detroit, Buffalo

Make sure to connect to a VPN server from one of our recommended NBA VPN services. If you don’t, your IP address will likely be blocked by NBA League Pass.

After testing 55 VPN services with NBA League Pass, we identified three VPNs that worked to live stream geo-blocked NBA games: ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Windscribe.

These VPN services scored better than any others according to our NBA VPN test methodology.

ExpressVPN and Surfshark are premium VPN services, meaning you’ll have to pay a monthly fee to use them. For that, you get access to the fastest connection speeds and unlimited bandwidth.

Windscribe is 100% free, but it comes with many limitations, like fewer server locations and a monthly data cap.

You can quickly compare the best VPNs for NBA League Pass side-by-side in the table below:

	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	Windscribe Free
Ranking for NBA League Pass	1st	2nd	3rd
NBA League Pass Rating	9.4	6.2	4.8
International NBA League Pass	Yes	No	Yes
GPS Spoofing	No	Yes	Yes
US States	11	18	7
Countries	94	100	11
Average International Download Speed	83Mbps	62Mbps	66Mbps
Cheapest Price	$6.67	$2.30	100% Free
Official Website	expressvpn.com	surfshark.com	windscribe.com

We’ll go through each option in more detail in the sections below.

1. ExpressVPN: Best Overall VPN for NBA League Pass

Streams local and nationally blacked out NBA games with the fastest speeds.

Pros	Cons
Servers in 11 US states for bypassing local blackouts Servers in 94 countries for streaming NBA League Pass International Fast connection speeds for no buffering Easy-to-use Firestick app Router app for extra device compatibility 24/7 customer support	Expensive Doesn’t work on Android due to a lack of a GPS spoofing feature MediaStreamer doesn’t work with NBA League pass

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for NBA League Pass. Although it’s more expensive than the other VPNs in this list, its reliable performance, easy-to-use apps, and fast connection speeds make it worth the extra cost.

Streams In-Market & Out-of-Market NBA Games

After testing 55 free and premium VPNs with NBA League Pass, ExpressVPN was one of only two VPNs that could stream the NBA on US and international Servers.

The benefit of a compatible US server is that you’ll be able to get the fastest speeds while using the VPN. The advantage of a compatible international server is that you’ll then get access to every blacked-out NBA game, including those on national television.

You can how ExpressVPN compares to its main competitors in the table below:

VPN Service	US Server	International Server
ExpressVPN	✓	✓
NordVPN	✓	✕
PrivateVPN	✓	✓
Surfshark	✓	✕
Windscribe Free	✕	✓

ExpressVPN’s excellent performance is down to its large server network. To avoid local blackouts, we connected to a streaming-optimized server in one of the 11 US states it offers — spanning both the East and West Coasts.

Though some other top VPNs, including Private Internet Access and CyberGhost, have servers in even more US locations, we found their IP addresses are blocked by NBA League Pass. Both VPNs failed to unblock a single live game in any of our tests.

To conceal our real IP address to avoid nationally blacked-out games, we connected to a server in one of the 92 countries provided outside of the US and Canada. We recommend connecting to the Netherlands or Germany, as these countries are subject to fewer blackout restrictions.

As you can see in the screenshot below, we streamed a nationally blacked-out game on NBA League Pass by connecting to a Frankfurt ExpressVPN server.

Connecting to one of its compatible servers is simple by using ExpressVPN’s easy-to-use software. Simply tap the three dots on the home screen and select the name of the country you want to appear from.

Faster Speeds than Any Other NBA League Pass VPN

In our speed tests, ExpressVPN performed better than every other NBA VPN. This meant that live video streams always loaded in the highest resolution without any buffering.

While connected to server locations that bypass NBA blackouts, like Germany, we recorded speeds of 94Mbps. This is more than fast enough to stream NBA League Pass in a maximum 1080p resolution, which requires a minimum connection speed of 3Mbps.

You can see how ExpressVPN’s connection speeds compared to other VPNs for NBA in the table below:

VPN Service	Average International Download Speed
ExpressVPN	83Mbps
NordVPN	73Mbps
PrivateVPN	73Mbps
Surfshark	75Mbps

Smart DNS Is Ineffective, but Router App Is Superb

Sadly, MediaStreamer doesn’t work with NBA League Pass. The Smart DNS service failed to redirect our traffic and we were blocked from streaming any blacked-out games.

To use ExpressVPN on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like Apple TV and Roku, you can install ExpressVPN onto a compatible router. Thankfully, ExpressVPN’s router app is the best we’ve tested and is as easy to use as its other apps.

2. Surfshark: Best NBA League Pass VPN for Android

Affordable VPN service with GPS spoofing functionality on Android.

Pros	Cons
GPS spoofing feature bypasses local blackouts on Android Fast connection speeds using the WireGuard protocol Cheap subscriptions Intuitive apps for many devices Unlimited simultaneous connections 7-day free trial on mobile	Doesn’t work with nationally blacked-out games Smart DNS feature doesn’t work with NBA League Pass No router app

Surfshark is the top choice for streaming geo-blocked NBA games on Android. Its VPN app on Android includes a GPS spoofer, making it one of the only NBA VPNs that works on the platform.

However, we don’t recommend it if you want to watch the NBA on any other platform. It doesn’t access nationally televised games and it’s compatible with fewer devices than other options.

Fake GPS Feature Works on Android

The NBA Android app determines your location using GPS as well as your IP address. As connecting to a VPN server typically only changes the latter, almost every VPN service we tested failed to stream NBA games on Android.

Surfshark’s Android app stands out by including a fake GPS that syncs your location with the VPN server. Even the more expensive VPN services we tested, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, don’t have this feature.

That said, we were disappointed with Surfshark’s compatibility with other devices. Its Smart DNS functionality failed to change our DNS address when streaming the NBA. Additionally, the VPN lacks a router app, so we had to set up a virtual router from our PC to watch games on our Roku and Chromecast.

Doesn’t Stream Nationally Blacked Out Games

Our research found that none of Surfshark’s international servers work with NBA League Pass. As a result, you won’t be able to use it to bypass nationally blacked out games, like those on ESPN and TNT.

Many of its servers in 18 US states worked, though. You can still get a US IP address from outside of the blackout region for non-televised games.

While connected to Surfshark servers around the US, live games loaded instantly and we didn’t encounter any errors. We found that videos streamed more quickly when we connected using the WireGuard protocol, too.

Cheap Prices & 7-Day Free Trial

Despite its excellent performance, Surfshark is one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. On its 26-month subscription plan, the monthly cost of Surfshark is $2.30 per month, a saving of over 60% when compared to ExpressVPN.

If you set up your account through the iOS, Android, or Mac app, you’ll also be able to use Surfshark free for seven days. During this time, you’ll have access to the VPN’s easy-to-use apps, secure encryption, and 24/7 customer support.

You can see how affordable Surfshark is to alternative VPNs in the table below:

VPN Service	Pay Monthly Price	Cheapest Price
Surfshark	$12.95	$2.30/mo over 26 months
CyberGhost	$12.99	$2.19/mo over 26 months
ExpressVPN	$12.95	$6.67/mo over 15 months
NordVPN	$11.99	$3.29/mo over 24 months
PIA	$11.99	$2.19/mo over 26 months

3. Windscribe: Best Free VPN for NBA League Pass

The only 100% free VPN that bypasses NBA blackouts.

Pros	Cons
Free with no payment details required Works around both types of blackouts Location Warp fakes GPS location on Android Excellent app for Firestick & Android TV Smart DNS tool works on Smart TVs Secure encryption & private logging policy	Only one server works with the NBA 10GB monthly data cap Slower download speeds than other NBA VPNs No live chat customer support

Windscribe is the only VPN that works to watch blackout NBA games for free. All the other popular free VPNs we tested, like Atlas VPN and Proton VPN, failed to unblock NBA League Pass on any server.

Limited Server Options

In our tests, we could only stream live NBA games using Windscribe Free’s Germany server. We were blocked from accessing the service while connected to all of its other free locations, like the UK and the US.

While this allowed us to access NBA League Pass International to stream every type of blacked-out games, we could not switch to another server whenever it stopped working.

Although this only happened once, it meant we couldn’t stream any games until Windscribe fixed the issue. The premium VPNs in this list, like ExpressVPN and Surfshark, have dozens of compatible servers to prevent this from happening.

Additionally, connecting to a server in Germany from the US meant our speeds dropped from 100Mbps to 80Mbps. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, recorded a download speed of 93Mbps when we connected to a server in a neighboring state.

Compatible with Every Streaming Device

Windscribe was able to stream live NBA games on more devices than any other VPN. It has options for faking your location on Android, Apple TV, and Firestick.

Unlike every other VPN, Windscribe’s Smart DNS feature, Control D, works with NBA League Pass. We used it to steam the service on our Apple TV and LG Smart TV. Although it costs extra, Control D has a 30-day free trial and doesn’t require any payment details.

Like Surfshark, Windscribe’s Free App comes with a fake GPS feature for Android. Although it wasn’t as easy to set up as Surfshark’s, it still successfully spoofed our GPS coordinates.

For streaming on Roku and Chromecast, you’ll have to share a VPN connection using your PC’s mobile hotspot. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to use Windscribe’s router configuration files, although this can be complicated and requires a compatible router.

In the table below, you can see how Windscribe Free has more impressive device compatibility than even premium VPN services:

VPN Service	Compatibility Features
Windscribe	Fake GPS, Smart DNS, Router configuration files
ExpressVPN	Native Router app
NordVPN	Router configuration files
PIA	Router configuration files
Surfshark	Fake GPS, Router configuration files

10GB Data Cap Isn’t Enough for Most Users

Windscribe is completely free to use. You don’t have to provide any payment details and the app doesn’t try to upgrade you to a premium subscription.

Sadly, NBA League Pass no longer offers a seven-day free trial. As a result, you won’t be able to stream NBA games for free with Windscribe.

Windscribe imposes restrictions on free users, including a 10GB monthly data cap. We found this data allowance was only sufficient for streaming a single game, as the NBA app automatically adjusts the resolution depending on your internet speed. This meant we weren’t able to choose a lower resolution to save data.

Windscribe Free is only suitable to watch a one-off blacked-out NBA game. If you want to regularly access NBA League Pass from anywhere, you’ll have to use a premium NBA VPN with unlimited bandwidth.

NBA League Pass imposes stricter VPN blocks than most other streaming services. ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Windscribe Free were the only VPNs that met or exceeded our testing criteria.

As you’d expect, a VPN automatically failed our tests if it couldn’t stream any blacked-out NBA games. But we also excluded VPNs for other reasons, like poor streaming device compatibility and insufficient download speeds.

Here are five popular VPNs we tested and the reasons why they didn’t make our list of the best VPNs for NBA League Pass:

CyberGhost

CyberGhost claims that it “works perfectly with NBA League Pass” on all of its servers. However, we were unable to watch a single live NBA game while connected to a server in any of its 90 server locations.

NordVPN

Although other VPN review websites state that NordVPN is the best VPN for NBA League Pass, our tests found that, unlike ExpressVPN and Windscribe, NordVPN can’t stream nationally blacked-out NBA games.

While connected to NordVPN’s international server locations, our IP address was always blocked by NBA League Pass. This meant that we were unable to stream games that were broadcast on a national network.

Although it did work to bypass local blackout restrictions, it’s an inferior choice to Surfshark as it doesn’t include a fake GPS feature for Android devices.

Private Internet Access

Similarly to CyberGhost, PIA VPN claims it “works great with NBA League Pass” on any “server location of your choice.”

Despite its vast network of 17,087 servers, we were unable to stream NBA League Pass while connected to any of them.

PrivateVPN

Along with ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN is one of only two VPNs that successfully streamed live NBA games on US and international servers.

Although it is excellent at bypassing geo-blocks, it didn’t make our recommendations due to its slow speeds and poor device compatibility. Using it, our content sometimes buffered and would only stream in SD.

Additionally, we couldn’t use it to bypass NBA blackouts on Android, Apple TV, or Roku. This is because the VPN lacks fake GPS, Smart DNS, and a router app.

VeePN

VeePN promotes itself as the “best VPN for NBA League Pass” and claims all 60 of its server locations bypass blackouts.

However, our tests found that VeeVPN is unable to work around any blackout restrictions. All of its IP addresses were blocked and we were shown an error message.

We put 55 VPN services through our custom NBA VPN testing methodology to find the best free and premium options.

Each VPN was tested using NBA League Pass in a Google Chrome browser on a PC running Windows 10. If compatible, it was then tested on Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV.

Each testing category was designed to provide a simple positive or negative result, as to remove the possibility of bias or human error in the testing process.

You can read a detailed breakdown of how the most popular VPNs performed in each testing category in the sections below.

1. Bypassing Local Blackouts (30% of Overall Rating)

A top NBA VPN should be able to bypass local blackouts, like those imposed by NBA League Pass and NBA TV, via a nearby server in the US. That way, you can maintain the fastest possible internet speeds.

We tested and recorded each VPNs ability to stream NBA games while connected to servers on the East and West Coasts of the US.

We scored a VPN 0.0/10 if it didn’t work in any location, 5/10 if it worked in one location, and 10/10 if it worked in more than two locations.

You can see the full results of our testing for this criteria in the table below:

As you can see, ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, and Surfshark were the only VPNs capable of streaming blackout games on more than one US server.

Other top VPNs, like PIA and CyberGhost, were blocked in every location. NordVPN was limited to just one compatible server.

2. Bypassing National Blackouts (30% of Overall Rating)

To unblock every blacked-out NBA game, including those on ESPN and TNT, a VPN has to work with the international version of NBA League Pass.

To see how the VPNs performed, we tried accessing games subject to national blackout restrictions while connected to VPN servers outside of the US and Canada.

A VPN scored 0/10 if it didn’t work in any location, 5/10 if it worked in one country outside of the US and Canada, and 10/10 if it worked in at least two countries outside of North America.

You can see the full results of our testing for this criteria in the table below:

ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN were the only VPNs that could access NBA League Pass International in multiple server locations. Windscribe Free managed to do so in a single location, while all other VPNs were unsuccessful.

3. Speed (20% of Overall Rating)

To stream NBA games in HD without any buffering, a VPN has to have fast download speeds across its server network.

To record a VPN’s connection speeds, we performed hundreds of speed tests while connected to each VPN’s servers in the US, as well as in international locations like Germany and the Netherlands.

We enter these raw speed figures into our calculator, which then outputs a rating out of 10. You can read more about how we calculate a VPN’s speed rating elsewhere.

See the full results of our testing for this criteria in the table below:

Of the VPNs that work with NBA League Pass, only ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark were fast enough to consistently stream live games in HD quality.

4. NBA Streaming Device Compatibility (20% of Overall Rating)

To access geo-blocked NBA games on all of your devices, a VPN has to provide extra features for devices that don’t support VPN apps. Like Smart DNS functionality for Apple TV and a router app for Roku.

As the NBA Android app determines your device from your GPS coordinates, an NBA VPN will ideally include a fake GPS spoofing feature to maintain compatibility.

To evaluate the VPNs in this category, we downloaded the software on every possible platform. If available, we also installed it on a router and tested its Smart DNS functionality.

A score of 1.25 is credited for each of the following:

• Android TV app
• Desktop app
• Fake GPS
• Fire TV app
• Mobile app
• Native router app
• Router configuration files
• Smart DNS

You can see the full results of our testing for this criteria in the table below:

ExpressVPN was the only NBA VPN to include an app for routers, while only Surfshark and Windscribe had a fake GPS feature for Android.

If your VPN isn’t working with NBA League Pass, most often it’s because the IP address of the VPN server has been banned.

The most effective fix is to use a top NBA VPN and connect to a compatible server. Then, open NBA League Pass in a private browsing window, as this will prevent the browser from storing cookies and cache.

For specific instructions on how to work around the two most common NBA League Pass error codes, see the sections below.

Error Code 7027: Out of country blocked because client is neither in home country nor in content

NBA League Pass displays the 7027 error message when it detects you’re using a VPN. To fix this, you’ll have to use one of the VPNs we recommend and connect to a server that accesses geo-blocked NBA games.

You can see which VPN servers we’ve verified work with NBA League Pass elsewhere in this guide.

Error Code: 3312: Content restricted for geolocation

You will see the 3312 error message if your IP address is within the blackout region. To get around this, connect to a VPN server where the game is accessible.

You can view the regions where the most popular teams are blacked out in our summary table.