Unrivaled Basketball League: When, Where And How To Watch The New 3x3 Match

The thrilling showdown between the Lunar Owls and the Mist took the internet by storm. The 3×3 Unrivaled Basketball League delivered what it promised, and the fans are yet to experience another dopamine rush like the inaugural games. The new style of basketball league has not earned the significant numbers as the WNBA for now. However, it is expected that it might sustain a barrage of numbers once it gains the fans assemble for some off-season fun after the WNBA regular season.

The Unrivaled League is yet to gain the trust of veteran broadcasting channels like TNT with its numbers. But the league’s off-court performances were stunning, with players like Breanna Stewart and Skylar Diggins-Smith making the best buckets in the first game of the Unrivaled. You might be wondering where to watch it since the league’s high-octane action has caught the attention of the fans. Today, we will explore where basketball enthusiasts can have high-energy basketball fun during the WNBA offseason.

What is the Unrivaled Basketball League?

The Unrivaled Basketball League is a 3×3 basketball competition that is set up by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart to provide alternate earning sources for WNBA players. Even during the offseason, the new league is providing players with an average salary of $222,000, which is much more than the average pay the WNBA ballers are getting in the traditional 5×5 league.

The first game of the league was played on January 17, 2025, in Wayfair Arena in the format of a doubleheader. Even the whole format of the league is planned in such a way that the games will be over by the end of the WNBA offseason. The home arena of the league is based in Miami, Florida. The aspect of the Unrivaled that compels fans’ hearts pumping with rush is their favorite stars from the WNBA attending the offseason league. The primary stars that the fans might be looking for are Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Angel Reese, DiJonai Carrington, and Arike Ogunbowale. Even Caitlin Clark was supposed to attend the league, but unfortunately, the expectations could not turn into reality this time. However, in an interview with Time Magazine, Clark admitted that she “didn’t rule out doing it in the future.”

The League Format

3×3 Basketball: A New Era

According to the official format declaration, Unlike FIBA or Olympic three-on-three basketball, Unrivaled will play on a full court, with baskets at each end. Owing to the lower number of players on the floor at any given time, the playing surface will be 70′-by-50′ (as compared to the 94′-by-50′ size used in the WNBA). Games will be played in four seven-minute quarters. However, after the third quarter, it is the fourth quarter where the balance of the game shifts, which will be later explained in the rules.

Teams and Matchups

Coming to the whole schedule, each team will play 14 games, with the top four teams at the end of the regular season advancing to one-game semifinals. The winners of those games will move on to a one-game final set for Monday, March 17.

Rules:

Game Length: The whole game time for a match is just 28 minutes consisting of four quarters with seven minutes playing time.
Winning Score: The first team to score 11 points beyond the leading team’s third-quarter total score wins the Unrivaled game ultimately.
Shot Clock: 18 seconds (shorter than the WNBA’s 24-second clock)
Fouls: Players foul out after six fouls. If only three players are available and one fouls out, they remain in the game but rack up technical fouls for each additional foul.

How to Watch the Unrivaled Basketball League in the United States

Broadcasting Channels (Cable TV)

The whole schedule of the Unrivaled Basketball League games covers the period from January 17 to March 17. So anyone in the US looking out to witness the high octane games on their Cable TV can watch the games on TNT and truTV. The good news for the working class in the offseason is that most of the games of the league will air on Saturday afternoons and Friday nights. However, some of the games are also set to air on Monday nights.

If the fans wish to have a week-long fun, the games will air on Tuesday and Thursday nights as well during the midseason 1-on-1 tournament.

Streaming Channels

The players who do not have the facility of cable or do not prefer watching on cable In the US can watch the Unrivaled games on streaming platforms like Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, and Max. The new Blue plan of Sling TV has various live channel feed availability of channels like TNT, truTV, and 40+ more. The diverse number of channels that Sling TV offers costs about $46 per month to its customers. It is a new scheme, and that’s why the streaming platform is offering 50% off on the first month’s charge.

Another streaming platform that the US-based fans of the Unrivaled Basketball League can watch out for is DirecTV Stream. This streaming platform has even launched a new package for sports enthusiasts called MySports. Usually, the subscription plan for DirecTV plans is $115 per month. However, the new sports package is much cheaper, having a total cost of $70 per month. However, if the customers buy the three-month subscription of the MySports package altogether, they can get the offer for $50 per month. With platforms like TNT and TruTV for streaming, this streaming service has not expanded all over the US

In addition to it,, DirecTV Stream Choice service might offer every channel you need to live stream all nationally broadcast games during the regular season and playoffs. However, it is yet to become a reality for the fans.

Even the streaming service Max, which is known for blessing the viewers with HBO shows, has included a section for sports enthusiasts. The B/R Sports add-on on the streaming platform will also stream Unrivaled Basketball League games from TNT and TruvTV. The subscription cost for the services that the streaming platform is providing is $10 per month. However, if the customer wants to have the sports section, then they have to pay $10 extra for that. For now, it’s free, but the cost might surge later.

How to Watch Unrivaled Basketball League Outside United States

Someone who is not in range of the streaming platforms based in the United States can also watch the Unrivaled games even on a global level. The VPN service is also known as Virtual Private Networks. The VPN service enables users sitting across any corner of the world to access a region-centric platform by changing their device’s virtual location. However, anyone looking to stream the games should have a registration to US payment methods since the streaming platforms in the US only accept payment through these methods.

Wondering where to start with this system? Proton VPN and Express VPN are the best platforms to get access to the streaming channels.

Unrivaled Teams and Roster Insights

Instead of teams, the Unrivaled Basketball League has six clubs with six players each in a club. A total of 36 players are there in the league to play the game of 3×3 basketball during the offseason. Let’s take a look at all the six clubs and a little information about them.