Courtside Lakers seats are notoriously tough tickets, with individual prices soaring well over $10,000. Yet if you were one of the few people who decided to sink $3,499 on an Apple Vision Pro, you can feel like you’re sitting in a sideline seat at Crypto.com Arena this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. PT.
Apple and Spectrum are teaming up to stream select Lakers basketball games live for owners of Apple’s expensive VR headset during the upcoming NBA season, and Jan. 9 is the debut. Friday’s game between the LA Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks marks the first time a major US sports league has committed to regular live broadcasts in Apple’s immersive format, and it could prove a meaningful moment for the long-term relevance of the futuristic device.
Watching basketball from a courtside perspective, with cameras positioned at floor level and under each hoop, promises an entirely different sense of presence compared to a traditional broadcast. Learn how the games will work on the VR device and which other NBA games will be streamed especially for Apple Vision Pro this season.
How does livestreaming NBA games with the Apple Vision Pro work?
Charter Communications and Apple announced their partnership back on Oct. 10, 2025, saying that Spectrum SportsNet would power the live immersive streams for Lakers fans through a new SportsNet app. Apple and Spectrum say these games will stream at up to 150Mbps, with a replay window of three days after each live broadcast.
Fans will need a subscription to Spectrum broadband or Spectrum SportsNet to watch the special Lakers games on the Spectrum app, although the Apple App Store says, «Users with a free NBA ID will also have access to live games, full-game replays and highlights via the NBA app.»
Spectrum’s new app will also host the live feed for viewers within the Lakers’ regional market, while the NBA app will distribute replays and highlights internationally. Supported countries include the US, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
Each stream will rely on custom Blackmagic Ursa Cine Immersive rigs, which capture 3D video calibrated for the Vision Pro’s optics, and make use of seven different viewing perspectives:
- The scorer’s table
- The area under each basket
- A high view of the arena
- A wide view of the arena
- The player tunnel
- The broadcast booth
- A roaming courtside perspective
The games will be filmed and broadcast in Apple’s custom Immersive format, which is designed for virtual reality content — it’s already been used in the making of a number of short films.
As someone who owns a Vision Pro, I can’t help but feel this is the kind of partnership the device has been waiting for. The headset has always felt technically astonishing, but searching for a purpose. Live sports — something that thrives on immediacy and emotion — might finally be where it makes sense.
CNET’s VR/AR expert, Scott Stein, describes the Apple Vision Pro as «a bleeding-edge tech showcase and the most advanced standalone VR/AR headset in existence,» but also cautioned that «the price will never appeal to any regular person I know.»
While immersive Lakers games could make the Vision Pro more interesting, they won’t suddenly make it affordable. Apple still needs a stronger argument for why regular people should invest in such a costly device beyond its novelty and design credentials.
Analyst Max Weinbach from Creative Strategies describes the Lakers deal as «a step towards fulfilling the promise of XR platforms for entertainment, real-time immersive live sports,» even if it doesn’t move the needle for sales of the headset.
He sees it as «a great deal for the Lakers, one of the most popular NBA teams, to pilot the tech,» adding that while fans will enjoy the experience, «it’s more another way to pilot Apple Immersive Video in live entertainment as Apple still tries to find the killer app for Vision Pro.»
Which Lakers games will stream on the Vision Pro?
Along with this week’s Lakers vs. Bucks game at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, Spectrum and the NBA will also offer the following five games through Apple Vision Pro:
- Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026: Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers (7 p.m. PT)
- Friday, Feb. 20, 2026: Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (7 p.m. PT)
- Thursday, March 5, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets (7 p.m. PT)
- Tuesday, March 10, 2026: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m. PT)
- Monday, March 30, 2026: Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers (7 p.m. PT)
Streams will be accessible to authenticated Spectrum SportsNet subscribers and Spectrum Internet customers within the Lakers’ territory, while on-demand replays and highlights will be viewable globally through the NBA app.
The 2025-26 NBA regular season began on Oct. 21, 2025 and continues through April 12, 2026, with the NBA playoffs to follow.
