How to Watch PBA Games on Mobile

Filipinos’ love for basketball is evidenced by their desire to watch games of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) at home or wherever they are in the world. The PBA is the Philippines’ counterpart of the US-based NBA.

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As the country’s premier basketball league, many Filipinos are tuning in to every live game on their TV sets at home. But if you’re like many Filipinos who cannot watch the games on TV, as in the case of OFWs, you can now watch live PBA games on your smartphone. 

How? You may be wondering. Well in this article we’re going to take you through step-by-step and show you 4 different ways to watch PBA games on mobile. But first, let’s take a quick look at the Philippine Basketball League and what it has become today.

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How to Watch PBA Games on Mobile

About the PBA

Now in its 44th year, the PBA is the country’s most popular sporting organization. It is also Asia’s first professional basketball league. Moreover, it is the world’s second-oldest professional basketball league that still exists until now, after the NBA.

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It is composed of 12 teams, namely Alaska, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Blackwater Elite, Columbian Dyip, Magnolia Hotshots, Meralco Bolts, NLEX Road Warriors, North Port Batang Pier, Phoenix Fuel Masters, Rain or Shine Elastopainters, San Miguel Beermen, and TNT Katropa.

A PBA season is divided into three conferences or tournaments (Philippine, Commissioner’s, and Governor’s) wherein the teams compete for a conference cup.

In 2019, the league holds games every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Basketball aficionados cannot afford to miss a game, especially during semi-finals and finals of each of the three conferences.

How to Watch the PBA Games on Mobile

Through modern technology, you can now stream real-time PBA games on your smartphone using the following methods.

PBA Website Live Stream

The official website of the league offers live streaming of its games for the sake of Filipinos abroad. On Chrome, Safari, or other mobile browsers, visit the PBA website to watch the matches as they happen. Apart from real-time streaming, the league’s official website also provides relevant information about the league, including the players, statistics, and standings. 

Live Streaming of ESPN5

You can also watch the PBA games on ESPN5, which holds exclusive rights to show PBA games on local TV. It is the sports division of TV5, a local TV station, under the partnership agreement with ESPN, the US-based sports network.

Aside from the PBA, ESPN5 also covers games played by Gilas, the basketball team representing the Philippines in international events. Apart from basketball, the station also shows other sporting events like the SuperLiga Volleyball Tournament

Free Streaming on VLC player

If you prefer watching TV5 live streaming of the PBA on the VLC or GOM player app, you can do so by following the below steps.

  • Open the VLC app
  • Tap the Menu (three horizontal lines) on the upper left of the screen
  • On the dropdown menu select Stream
  • On the Network Address form, input – http://stream1.news5.ph:1935/n5e/tv5/playlist.m3u8
  • Click the orange arrow and wait for the live feed to start

PBA Official Mobile App

PBA also has an official mobile app. While it shows the latest scores, schedules, standings, statistics, and updates from around the league, it doesn’t have live streaming capabilities.

With the methods listed above, you will never fail to cheer for your favorite PBA team, even while only watching from your smartphone.