Entering the 22nd season of its League Pass service, the NBA has unveiled a new option for fans: a single game pass. The single game pass will allow fans to purchase individual matchups for the price of $6.99. For contrast, the traditional season-long, all-inclusive League Pass is priced at $199.99, while the single Team Pass costs $119.99. Like all League Pass offerings, only out-of-market and non-nationally televised games are eligible for viewing.
The NBA League Pass remains the only service of its type among all major sports leagues, so it comes as no surprise to see the NBA attempt to widen the technological gap between itself and its competitors. While some might call the $6.99 pricing too high, a common complaint about the League Pass was the lack of cheap options for casual fans who aren’t willing to commit to an entire season’s worth of games, and the single game pass provides that.
Since this is the inaugural season of the single game pass, the NBA has some room for error here and will be able to adjust the conditions accordingly in coming years if the service isn’t consumed as expected.
A big draw for potential customers of the single game pass is the inclusivity among all platforms. The platform variety for League Pass gives a sizeable percentage of the population access to League Pass in a time where cable subscribers are decreasing every year.
Users can either access the game through the NBA’s League Pass app, available on devices such as Roku, Apple TV, smartphones, PS4, or simply through their cable or satellite provider. It remains to be seen how successful the single game pass will be for the NBA, but the potential is sky high.