As the National Basketball Association (NBA) season approaches, fans of the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans are eagerly anticipating changes in how they will be able to watch local games. Both teams are moving away from their regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports, as confirmed in a recent bankruptcy court filing.
While the two franchises have not officially announced where their local games will be aired for the upcoming season, there are reports indicating potential partnerships with different broadcasting networks. The Pelicans, for example, are said to have a preliminary agreement with Gray Television to air their games, as reported by CNBC. However, both Gray Television and the Pelicans’ representatives have refrained from making any comments regarding this decision.
In the previous season, the Pelicans had 10 of their games aired on Gray’s local stations, while the Mavericks had a 13-game agreement with Tegna’s Dallas-Fort Worth stations. It remains unclear who will take over the broadcasting rights for the upcoming games, as representatives for both the Mavericks and Tegna have not provided any insight into their plans for the upcoming season.
The Mavericks and Pelicans are just the latest teams to move their regular season games away from Diamond-owned regional sports networks, which have been rebranded under the Bally Sports name. Diamond Sports has been struggling to navigate its way out of bankruptcy for the past 18 months, leading several NBA, WNBA, and NHL teams to seek alternative broadcasting options.
As part of the termination of their agreements with Diamond Sports, the Mavericks will owe $1.3 million, while the Pelicans will have to pay over $297,000. These settlements come at a time when Diamond is finalizing broadcast and streaming rights agreements with the NBA and NHL for the upcoming season as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, pending court approval.
Diamond Sports is just one of many companies facing challenges in the ever-evolving broadcasting landscape, exacerbated by the decline of cable television. Despite launching a sports-only streaming service in 2022, the company’s massive $8 billion debt load forced it to file for bankruptcy protection.
With the NBA and NHL seasons fast approaching, Diamond Sports has been under increasing pressure to establish a sustainable business model and demonstrate its ability to meet financial obligations. The recent agreement to restore its networks on Comcast’s cable TV platform marks a significant step forward for the company, as Comcast is one of its largest distributors.
As the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans prepare for the upcoming NBA season, changes in local broadcasting arrangements are on the horizon. With the transition away from Diamond-owned regional sports networks and the establishment of new partnerships with local broadcasters, fans can expect a different viewing experience for the upcoming games.
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