The Cleveland Cavaliers is testing the waters of over-the-air broadcast television.
The NBA team on Tuesday said it signed a deal with broadcaster Gray Television to air five games on WUAB 43, a The CW affiliate, and WOIO. The team has an existing deal with Bally Sports, the embattled regional sports network trying to get out of bankruptcy, to air most of its games.
The deal represents the latest example of a team expanding into the over-the-air television as the regional sports network falls apart in certain regions of the country. When the Phoenix Suns made the switch away from cable, it gave away free antennas to its fans. For many teams, the rise of cord cutting has meant more people unable to access those games, which are locked behind a cable package. Moving back to free broadcast television opens up access and potentially bolsters the fanbase.
“We are constantly evaluating every available opportunity to create the greatest experience for all fans of Cavaliers Basketball. Given the current, dynamic media landscape, we have prioritized how we can expand our audience in every way possible,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of theCleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group, and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “This partnership with Gray allows us to test out a new model of distribution that has the potential to reach more of our fans across our region.”
“This is a great opportunity for WUAB 43 The CW and Gray Television to collaborate with the Cavs to provide the team’s devoted fans with complete access to the games no matter how they watch TV,” said Matt Moran, senior managing vice president for Gray.
The Cavs broadcasting team, made up of John Mitchell on play-by-play and analysts Austin Carr and Brad Daugherty, will remain the same and air on both Bally Sports Ohio and over the air on WUAB.
Here are the five games:
- 3/5 vs. Boston Celtics
- 3/8 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 3/29 vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- 4/6 at Los Angeles Lakers (3:30 EST start time)
- 4/7 at Los Angeles Clippers (3:30 EST start time)