How to Watch Houston Rockets Games Without Cable TV

The 2025 NBA season is officially underway, and for Houston Rockets fans, there's plenty of excitement building around a young, energetic roster looking to climb back into playoff contention. Whether you're a die-hard supporter living in Houston or a longtime fan watching from another state, keeping up with every Rockets game is a priority. Fortunately, watching NBA games—especially local broadcasts like those for the Rockets—no longer requires a traditional cable subscription. Thanks to a growing number of streaming services and platforms like Sling TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, you can follow the Rockets throughout the season without being tied to a cable box or expensive monthly contract.

This article will walk you through the NBA broadcast landscape, explain the best services to use in 2025, and show you how to set up your system to ensure you never miss a moment of Rockets basketball.

Understanding How NBA Games Are Broadcast

Before diving into streaming options, it’s important to understand how NBA games are televised. Like the NFL and MLB, the NBA uses a mix of national and regional broadcasts.

The majority of Rockets games—especially regular-season matchups—are aired regionally in the Houston area on the team’s local broadcast partner. As of the 2025 season, the Houston Rockets' regional games are carried on Space City Home Network (SCHN), the same regional sports network that also airs Houston Astros games. SCHN covers Houston and other parts of Texas and the surrounding region, making it the go-to source for most Rockets games if you're located in the viewing area.

Nationally televised NBA games appear on channels like ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV, which typically broadcast games featuring high-profile matchups or playoff implications. While the Rockets don’t currently receive as many national TV appearances as some other franchises, they do occasionally play in these slots, especially during marquee matchups or when playing teams with national appeal.

Out-of-market fans—those living outside of the SCHN coverage zone—won’t have access to Rockets regional broadcasts unless they use a league-wide streaming solution like NBA League Pass. However, even League Pass has blackout restrictions for local games, making it important to match your location with the right service.

Watching Rockets Games with Sling TV

One of the most accessible and cost-effective ways to stream NBA games without cable is Sling TV. Sling TV offers two core packages—Orange and Blue—and each includes channels that carry national NBA games.

The Sling Orange package includes ESPN and TNT, two of the main networks that air NBA games nationally. With this package, you can watch select Rockets games that are nationally televised. You can also catch NBA on TNT’s weekly broadcasts and ESPN’s Wednesday and Friday night games.

However, Sling TV does not currently offer regional sports networks like SCHN, so it will not provide access to most regular-season Rockets games if you live in the Houston area. For fans in-market, this means Sling TV works best as a supplement for national games rather than a full-season solution. Still, it’s a great, affordable option if you're primarily interested in watching the Rockets when they appear on ESPN or TNT.

To round out your access, Sling also allows you to add NBA TV through the Sports Extra add-on. This gives you additional national game coverage and access to some alternate feeds and live programming.

Sling TV is fully compatible with popular streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, making it easy to install, log in, and watch games directly on your television.

Using Roku to Stream Rockets Games

Roku devices are among the most popular streaming platforms available today, offering a simple and efficient way to watch live sports through various apps. Roku itself is not a content provider but rather a hub through which you can access services like Sling TV, NBA League Pass, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and others.

Once you’ve chosen your preferred streaming service, you can download its corresponding app from the Roku Channel Store and log in with your credentials. If you’re a Sling TV subscriber, just open the Sling app and navigate to ESPN or TNT when Rockets games are airing nationally. If you’re an out-of-market fan with NBA League Pass, the League Pass app can also be downloaded and accessed directly from your Roku home screen.

The Roku interface makes it easy to switch between services, search for live games, or catch up on replays. Voice search is also available on many Roku remotes, allowing you to quickly find “Houston Rockets games” or “NBA live” just by speaking into the remote.

Watching on Amazon Fire TV

Amazon Fire TV is another excellent option for streaming Rockets games without cable. Like Roku, Fire TV supports a wide variety of apps and services, including Sling TV, NBA League Pass, and national broadcast apps like ESPN and ABC.

Fire TV is especially useful for fans who already use Amazon Prime or have Alexa-enabled devices in their homes. You can control your Fire TV using voice commands to find NBA games, open specific apps, or check schedules.

If you're using Sling TV through Fire TV, you can access ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV (if added), which will cover many nationally televised games. NBA League Pass is also available as a standalone app or through Amazon Channels, allowing you to subscribe directly from your Amazon account and watch games without switching platforms.

Fire TV’s seamless integration with other devices and its robust app library make it a powerful option for cord-cutting basketball fans.

NBA League Pass for Out-of-Market Fans

For fans who live outside of the Houston broadcast region, NBA League Pass is the best way to follow the Rockets throughout the entire season. League Pass gives you access to live broadcasts of every out-of-market game, including Rockets matchups that are not nationally televised.

With League Pass, you can stream games in real time or watch full replays later. There are also condensed game options and radio broadcasts available. It’s ideal for fans living in other states—or even abroad—who want full-season coverage.

Keep in mind that League Pass does not allow you to watch in-market games live, due to blackout restrictions. So if you live in Houston or the surrounding areas covered by SCHN, League Pass will not show Rockets games live. However, replays are generally available shortly after the game ends.

NBA League Pass is accessible through the NBA app, which is available on both Roku and Fire TV platforms, allowing you to stream directly on your TV without needing a cable subscription.

Cost Considerations and Streaming Strategy

Cord-cutting can save money over time, but costs vary depending on the services you choose. Sling TV is among the most affordable options, starting around $40 per month, with the Sports Extra add-on costing a bit more if you want NBA TV.

NBA League Pass typically offers both team-specific and full-league packages. Prices fluctuate throughout the season, but team-specific plans are usually less expensive than full access to all 30 teams.

If you live in-market, your best strategy is to look for a service that carries SCHN, such as FuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM. While these tend to be more expensive—often in the $75–$90 per month range—they are currently the only options that carry local broadcasts for Rockets games.

Pairing a national streaming option like Sling TV with NBA League Pass (for out-of-market fans) or a RSN-carrying provider (for in-market fans) gives you the most complete access to the Rockets’ 2025 season.

Final Thoughts

Watching Houston Rockets games without cable is entirely possible in 2025, thanks to a variety of streaming services and smart TV platforms. Whether you're following the team from Houston or cheering them on from across the country, there are accessible and cost-effective ways to keep up with every game.

Sling TV provides a solid foundation for nationally televised games, especially on ESPN and TNT. Roku and Amazon Fire TV make it easy to stream games on your TV, while NBA League Pass gives out-of-market fans access to nearly the entire season. In-market viewers should consider additional services that carry Space City Home Network if they want access to local broadcasts.

No matter where you are, you can stay connected to the Rockets all season long—with just a few smart streaming choices and the right setup.