Tag: Bally Sports

Roughly 2 months away, OKC Thunder’s 2024-25 broadcast home remains unknown

Roughly 2 months away, OKC Thunder’s 2024-25 broadcast method remains unknown.

An offseason storyline hidden in the shadows took centerstage when the Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled their 2024-25 regular season schedule.

The Thunder will play 15 of their 82 contests on ESPN, TNT or ABC. The remaining 67 games will be locally broadcast. How exactly fans will be able to tune into those games is still unknown.

The Bally Sports saga continues to play out. It filed for bankruptcy in March 2023. It was reported in Nov. 2023 that the Thunder could leave Bally Sports as soon as this offseason.

During the second half of last season, the Thunder aired their games on local television for free on Fridays. The handful of contests was likely an experimental test run in case OKC needed to find a new home this upcoming season.

That possibility has crept closer to reality. The latest chapter heard talks that Bally Sports might even axe the Thunder if they survive bankruptcy.

The Thunder’s statement about the 2024-25 regular season schedule noted: “Local TV broadcast information will be released at a later date.”

Uncertainty remains on how the Thunder will broadcast their games for next season. Odds are, they stick with the free local broadcast and offer non-local fans a chance to stream online.

But regardless of solutions, the Thunder and Bally Sports must quickly determine their future together. Time is ticking as training camp is less than two months away.

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Report: Bally Sports might axe OKC Thunder broadcast ahead of 2024-25 season

Report: Bally Sports might axe OKC Thunder broadcast ahead of 2024-25 season.

A little over two months before the 2024-25 season starts, the Oklahoma City Thunder may need a backup plan for broadcasting their games.

The Diamond Sports Group — also known as Bally Sports — might trim five NBA teams from their deals if they survive bankruptcy, per the Sports Business Journal.

One of those five squads is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The other four teams who could get axed are the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons

The company is expected to keep deals with the other 10 teams broadcasting its games on Bally Sports. The Thunder declined to comment on the situation to the Sports Business Journal.

The Bally Sports saga has spanned years at this point. It filed for bankruptcy in March 2023. It was reported in Nov. 2023 that the Thunder could leave Bally Sports as soon as this offseason.

During last season, the Thunder broadcasted a handful of contests via local airwaves. This could be an alternative plan if OKC and Bally Sports fail to reach next season under a deal.

It’d be an efficient avenue to make Thunder games more accessible. Local fans only need an antenna to stream the contests throughout the season and avoid subscription headaches.

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Jalen Williams explains admiration for Bally Sports’ Nick Gallo, Paris Lawson

Jalen Williams explains admiration for Bally Sports’ Nick Gallo, Paris Lawson.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder stacked up wins toward earning the first seed, a new post-win celebration was born: the infamous postgame interviews.

Following wins, Thunder players have begun barking in celebration and playfully teasing Bally Sports Oklahoma reporter Nick Gallo.

Jalen Williams has led the charge with the newfound tradition for this young squad. From leaving TNT high and dry to messing with Gallo’s Apple Watch, the 23-year-old has been the face of OKC’s post-win celebrations.

After the Thunder’s Game 4 win to complete their first-round sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans, Williams explained their admiration for the local broadcast members — who are done broadcasting games for the rest of the NBA playoffs. The remaining rounds will be shown on national television.

“Him and P-Law (Paris Lawson) be with us for the whole year,” Williams said. “Not just kind of when we have a couple of wins under our belts, so it’s always cool to be able to come over to them and kinda celebrate that with us.

“They’re in the trenches with us for 86 games so far. So it’s always good to kind of show love. We really appreciate them.”

It’s only fitting that Williams provided a wholesome answer to a wholesome tradition. The Thunder’s synergy from across the organization has been a strength of theirs for several years and this season has really shown that.

While the group interviews following playoff wins will likely continue, Thunder fans will miss the local element of it being shown on Bally Sports Oklahoma with Gallo’s and Lawson’s participation.

But, alas, it’s a worthy price to pay for an extended postseason run by the Thunder.

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Amazon partners with Diamond Sports; OKC Thunder games could broadcast on Prime

Amazon partners with Diamond Sports; future OKC Thunder games could broadcast on Prime.

Diamond Sports announced on Wednesday that it will partner with Amazon in a restructuring agreement. This means future Oklahoma City Thunder games could be carried on Amazon Prime.

Diamond Sports — the owners of Bally Sports — is navigating through bankruptcy, which it filed for in March 2023. This agreement with Amazon will allow Diamond Sports to emerge from bankruptcy. The agreement is subject to approval by the bankruptcy court.

Under terms of the deal, Amazon will make a minor initial investment, reportedly $115 million. In return, it will get the chance to stream NBA games on its online platform. Amazon’s interest in Diamond Sports was previously reported last month.

“We are thrilled to have reached a comprehensive restructuring agreement that provides a detailed framework for a reorganization plan and substantial new financing that will enable Diamond to operate and thrive beyond 2024,” Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support from Amazon and a group of our largest creditors who clearly believe in the value-creating potential of this business. Diamond’s near-term focus will be on implementing the RSA and emerging from bankruptcy as a going concern for the benefit of our investors, our employees, our team, league and distribution partners, and the millions of fans who will continue to enjoy our broadcasts.”

In November, the NBA and Diamond Sports agreed to an extension that will allow the Thunder and 14 other teams to have the remainder of their 2023-24 season games carried on Bally Sports.

After that though, OKC will enter broadcast free agency this offseason. Amazon Prime — the $14.99 a month online platform — becomes another viable option. If future Thunder games are streamed there, it will be at a cost.

The Thunder also recently announced their eight remaining Friday regular-season games will air on local Griffin Media television affiliates. Bally Sports and the NBA allowed their teams to explore this option during this season.

The games will be carried on Griffin stations KSBI Channel 52 in Oklahoma City and News On 6 Now Channel 6.3 in Tulsa. The games will also be carried on COX (Channel 7 in OKC, Channel 53 in Tulsa), other cable outlets, and DirecTV and DISH in OKC (Channel 52).

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OKC Thunder to air 8 regular-season games on local TV, not Bally Sports

OKC Thunder to air 8 regular season games on local TV, not Bally Sports.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Griffin Media announced on Tuesday that the team’s eight remaining Friday regular-season games will air on local TV instead of Bally Sports Oklahoma.

The games will be carried on Griffin stations KSBI Channel 52 in Oklahoma City and News On 6 Now Channel 6.3 in Tulsa. The games will also be carried on COX (Channel 7 in OKC, Channel 53 in Tulsa), other cable outlets, and DirecTV and DISH in OKC (Ch. 52).

The NBA and Diamond Sports — the owner of Bally Sports — have agreed to allow teams to televise up to 10 games on local channels during the rest of the 2023-24 season.

“For 70 years, the Griffin family has been a pioneering force in our community and the television industry, and we are particularly proud to partner with a locally-owned broadcaster that brings such a deep connection and commitment to all Oklahomans,” Thunder owner Clay Bennett said. “The Thunder is grateful for the loyal support we receive from our fans across Oklahoma and the region. We look forward to providing them this additional access to our game broadcasts.”

The eight regular-season games that will be carried on local TV instead of Bally Sports are:

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This news comes a little over two months after it was initially reported that the Thunder could leave Bally Sports following the 2023-24 season. OKC will be a television free agent this offseason.

A potential suitor could be Amazon, which has reportedly shown interest in investing in Diamond Sports as it navigated through bankruptcy.

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Report: OKC Thunder could stream future games on Amazon Prime

Report: OKC Thunder could broadcast future games on Amazon Prime.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have a new home to carry their games in the future.

As Diamond Sports — the owner of Bally Sports — navigates bankruptcy, the Thunder and other teams might need to find a new media home to carry games after this season.

Last month, the NBA and Diamond Sports agreed to an extension that will allow the Thunder and 11 other teams to have the remainder of their 2023-24 season games carried on Bally Sports. After that though, OKC will enter media free agency.

A potential replacement could be Amazon Prime, which is in discussions with Diamond Sports about investing in Bally Sports, per The Wall Street Journal.

The online streaming service is already home to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” contests. Prime Video costs $14.99 a month.

In the first weeks of this season, Bally Sports has had several instances when it couldn’t broadcast Thunder games on its online platform, which caused outrage among the fan base.

Bally Sports debuted in March 2021 on what had been the Fox Sports channels.

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Report: OKC Thunder could leave Bally Sports after 2023-24 season

The Thunder will be TV free agents following this season.

The NBA has reportedly agreed to allow Diamond Sports — also known as Bally Sports — to televise the remainder of the 2023-24 season, per the Sports Business Journal.

Both parties agreed to an extension as Diamond Sports navigates through bankruptcy, which it filed for in March. Bally Sports debuted in March 2021 on what had been the Fox Sports channels.

This means the Oklahoma City Thunder — along with the other 12 teams whose games are carried by Bally Sports — will be television free agents after the season and can decide where future games will be shown.

In the first weeks of this season, Bally Sports has had several instances where it wasn’t able to broadcast Thunder games on its platform, which caused outrage among the fan base.

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Skylar Diggins-Smith wins Emmy for broadcasting Phoenix Suns games

A Notre Dame legend collects hardware off the court.

Former Notre Dame guard and South Bend native [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] might have found her calling for when her playing career is over. The Phoenix Mercury star has achieved many things since entering the WNBA, and it opened up the opportunity to be a broadcaster for Phoenix Suns telecasts on Bally Sports Arizona. Now, she’s being rewarded with an Emmy for her work on those telecasts:

While this isn’t quite on the same scale as Kobe Bryant’s Oscar win, it still highlights just how talented Diggins-Smith is beyond the basketball court. She will be able to take just about any path she wants to whenever she retires, and this should only encourage her to see a future in broadcasting. Anyone who can intelligently analyze women’s basketball to audiences is needed more than ever at a time when the sport is growing in popularity, which should mean good news for her if she pursues it.

Congratulations, Skylar! Display that Emmy with pride.

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