Fans of the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans are eagerly anticipating a new way to watch their favorite local games in the upcoming NBA season. Both teams are parting ways with their regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports, as confirmed by a recent bankruptcy court filing. With the NBA season scheduled to kick off on Oct. 22, there is still uncertainty surrounding where the local games of these two teams will be aired. However, both franchises have a track record of broadcasting their games with local broadcasters.
It has been reported that the New Orleans Pelicans have reached a preliminary agreement with Gray Television to broadcast their games this season. A source close to the team confirmed this development, although representatives from Gray and the Pelicans have chosen not to comment on the matter. In the previous season, the Pelicans aired 10 of their games on Gray’s local stations, while the Mavericks, who made an appearance in last season’s NBA Finals, had a 13-game agreement with Tegna’s Dallas-Fort Worth stations. Requests for comment from representatives of the Mavericks and Tegna regarding the broadcasting of local games have not been answered.
The decision by the Mavericks and Pelicans to shift the majority of their regular season games away from their Diamond-owned regional sports networks represents a growing trend in the industry. Diamond Sports has been struggling to emerge from bankruptcy over the past 18 months, leading to several NBA, WNBA, and NHL teams opting to switch to local broadcasters instead of regional sports networks. Some MLB teams that have parted ways with these networks will now have their games produced by the league itself. As part of the terminations, Diamond Sports will receive significant repayments from both the Mavericks and Pelicans.
As Diamond Sports navigates its bankruptcy process, it has entered into broadcast and streaming rights agreements with the NBA and NHL for the upcoming season. These deals are pending court approval. Diamond Sports CEO, David Preschlack, expressed gratitude for the collaborations and partnerships with the NBA and NHL, stating that the agreements mark a significant step towards successfully exiting bankruptcy protection. The decline of cable has been detrimental to companies like Diamond Sports, despite their efforts to launch a sports-only streaming service for some teams in 2022. With an $8 billion debt load, Diamond was forced to file for bankruptcy protection.
As the NBA and NHL seasons draw closer, Diamond Sports faces mounting pressure to develop a viable business plan and demonstrate its ability to meet the necessary rights payments. This summer, Diamond reached a pivotal agreement to restore its networks to Comcast’s cable TV customers. The Bally Sports networks had gone dark on Comcast, which happens to be Diamond’s third-largest distributor, earlier in the year.
Overall, the changes in the broadcasting landscape for the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans signal a larger industry shift as more teams seek alternative solutions to traditional cable networks. The upcoming season will undoubtedly bring new challenges and opportunities for both teams and their fans.
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