The anticipation for the FIBA World Cup has reached fever pitch as the Philippines (together with Japan and Indonesia) co-host the games from August 25 to September 10, 2023. And for millions of basketball fans around the world who can’t attend the games to cheer on their respective national teams, the Internet provides a convenient alternative via free online live streams that you can watch using your computer or smartphone.
Before the advent of the Internet, professional basketball games such as those of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) can only be watched personally at the stadium or at home via free TV and cable. Now that almost everyone has Internet access, you can have your regular fix of basketball through paid subscriptions such as the NBA League Pass or free-to-view live streams on YouTube and other streaming websites.
If you don’t want to shell out some money, there are dozens of live streaming websites and apps where you can watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup for free. While many of these websites are legit and safe, there are also shady and illegal ones. You should only go with legitimate and licensed streaming sites to avoid legal problems (although rare, it still happens) and to avoid being peppered with unwanted ads.
Fortunately, as co-host of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the Philippines has a front-row seat to all the action in the tournament. Cignal TV, Smart Communications, and the state-owned TV station PTV-4 are the official broadcasting partners of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and these entities have offered their subscribers a number of ways to watch the games at home.
So stop typing “FIBA World Cup live stream free” on Google and check out our list of legit live streaming websites and apps that are officially licensed by FIBA. Why risk visiting shady and unknown websites when you can watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup safely and securely?
Smart LiveStream App
As previously mentioned, Smart Communications is one of the broadcasting partners of the FIBA World Cup. The telecommunications company is generous enough to provide online live streaming to all their subscribers – and you don’t have to pay a single centavo! All you need is a Smart mobile number and you can watch all 92 games live on your smartphone or tablet.
To download the Smart LiveStream app, just go to Google Play (for Android users) or the App Store (for iOS users). Install the app and sign up for a free account by entering your Smart number. A one-time password will be sent to you via SMS to validate your account.
To start watching the FIBA Basketball World Cup on the Smart LiveStream app, just tap the “Schedule” tab and then select the appropriate channel. The live stream will start after a few seconds, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.
Pilipinas Live App
An alternative to Smart LiveStream is the Pilipinas Live mobile app by Cignal TV. But unlike the former, the Pilipinas Live app requires a premium paid subscription to access the games of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Don’t worry, however, because the premium subscription only costs ₱99 for 30 days (that’s about ₱3 per day!). With a paid subscription, you can watch all the live and upcoming games of the FIBA Basketball World Cup without interruptions and with no ads.
To subscribe to premium, just tap “Menu” and select “Manage Plan.” Press “Subscribe Now” and choose your subscription plan. Payments are coursed through Google Play or the App Store, but you can link your GCash account or add your credit/debit card.
One PH
One PH is a Tagalog news channel owned by Cignal TV, one of the official broadcasting partners of the FIBA World Cup. If, for some reason, you can’t watch through the Smart LiveStream or the Pilipinas Live app, you can do that instead on the One PH YouTube channel. They provide livestreams of the games from time to time, so be sure to subscribe and follow their YouTube channel for instant updates.
If you have the CignalPlay app installed on your phone (download on Google Play or the App Store), you can watch the One PH channel for free. Just tap the “Live TV” tab to see what’s currently streaming.
Courtside 1891
If none of the aforementioned websites and apps work for you, then Courtside 1891 might be the solution to your problem. It’s a website where you can watch live basketball games, view the latest scores, and access exclusive content from the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
To watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup, you must subscribe to the Max subscription plan which costs $30.99 (about ₱1750) for the annual plan, or $19.99 (about ₱1,130) for the FIBA World Cup Pass. You can pay using your PayPal account or your credit/debit card.
We recommend subscribing to the FIBA World Cup Pass because aside from being cheaper, there’s not much additional content on the website aside from the World Cup. You can’t watch the NBA and other professional basketball leagues on Courtside 1891 but that might change in the future.
FIBA World Cup Schedule: Today’s Games
Here is the schedule of games for today September 8, 2023 (Friday):
- 4:45 PM – Serbia vs Canada
- 8:45 PM – USA vs Germany
Note: All times are GMT +8 (Philippines Time).
Enjoy!
We hope that this small list of FIBA World Cup live streaming sites and apps helped to satisfy your addiction to world-class basketball. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and loved ones or bookmark it for future reference.
