Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming National Basketball Association season, as changes in local game broadcasting are on the horizon. Both teams are moving away from their regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports, as revealed in a recent bankruptcy court filing. With the NBA season slated to start on Oct. 22, fans are left wondering where they will be able to watch their favorite teams in action. While official announcements have not been made by either franchise regarding local game broadcasting, history suggests that both teams have typically televised their games through local broadcasters.
The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly secured an agreement in principle with Gray Television to broadcast their games for the upcoming season. Sources close to the team have confirmed this development, although representatives from both Gray Television and the Pelicans have refrained from commenting on the matter. In the previous season, the Pelicans aired 10 of their matchups on Gray’s local stations, indicating a prior working relationship between the two entities.
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks, who made an appearance in last season’s NBA Finals, had a 13-game agreement with Tegna’s Dallas-Fort Worth stations. However, details regarding the broadcasting of their local games for the upcoming season remain undisclosed. Despite reaching out for comments, representatives for both the Mavericks and Tegna have not provided any information regarding their plans for local game broadcasting.
The Mavericks and Pelicans join a growing list of teams that are moving the bulk of their regular season games away from Diamond-owned regional sports networks, which operate under the Bally Sports brand. Diamond Sports has been grappling with financial challenges for the past 18 months, attempting to navigate its way out of bankruptcy. As a result, multiple NBA, WNBA, and NHL teams have opted to switch to local broadcasters rather than continue with regional sports networks.
As part of the terminations from Diamond-owned regional networks, the Mavericks and Pelicans are set to pay $1.3 million and over $297,000, respectively, to Diamond Sports. This payment signifies the end of their agreements with the regional networks. Concurrently, Diamond Sports is finalizing broadcast and streaming rights agreements with the NBA and NHL for the upcoming season as part of its bankruptcy restructuring process, pending court approval.
Diamond Sports has not been immune to the challenges faced by companies in the cable industry. Despite launching a sports-only streaming service for select teams in 2022, the company’s substantial $8 billion debt led to its declaration of bankruptcy. The pressure to devise a sustainable business plan and meet rights payment obligations has intensified for Diamond as the NBA and NHL seasons draw near.
In a significant development, Diamond Sports managed to reach an agreement with Comcast to restore its networks to Comcast’s cable TV customers. This agreement came after the Bally Sports networks went offline for Comcast subscribers, as Comcast stands as Diamond’s third-largest distributor. As the landscape of local game broadcasting continues to evolve, fans of the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans remain eager to watch their teams compete in the upcoming NBA season.
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