Today the second NBA team announced plans to air their games for free on OTA TV. You will also be able to subscribe to a in-market streaming package.
With this deal, all non-nationally televised Jazz games on an over-the-air, local TV station – KJZZ, channel 14 – which will become “The Home of the Utah Jazz.” Utah Jazz games.
In the past the Utah Jazz aired on AT&T SportsNet but that network is expected to shutdown this fall before the start of the NBA season.
“Our top priority has always been providing the best fan experience possible. When we first took over stewardship of the team, 39% of Utah households had the ability to watch Jazz games, so as soon as the window opened last fall for us to rethink our approach to broadcasting, we began exploring all options to provide fans the most reliable access to Jazz games,” said Ryan Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group and governor of the Utah Jazz. “This new approach is one of the most important investments we have made since purchasing the team because it allows us to deliver Utah Jazz games to all 3.3 million plus Utahns.”
Emboldening a new era of content creation, SEG Media and the Utah Jazz will also offer a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming option.
Starting October 2023, a new paid, Utah Jazz-branded, subscription-based streaming platform will deliver every available Jazz game. You will also gett special access to the team, front office, and corporate management via exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. The Jazz say details on the Jazz’s DTC offering will be announced in the coming months.
“Our players work too hard and are too much fun to watch for us to be ok with any fan missing the action. No one has closer proximity to our team than we do, and SEG Media will help Jazz fans experience our organization in a way that has never been possible before, on more channels than ever before,” continued Smith.
The Jazz join the Pheinix Suns who also recently announced a deal to air their games on local OTA TV. For now, thought he Suns deal is on hold pending the Bally Sports bankruptcy ruling.