utah jazz will televise free over-the-air and stream direct to consumer

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While the local broadcast market teetered in uncertainty across the country over the last few months, with one major regional sports network syndicate going into bankruptcy and another leaving that business altogether, the Utah Jazz sought a new way to distribute their games. Where the franchise landed is not only what team owner Ryan Smith calls an “entirely new model” for broadcasting games across the NBA, but it could also be a sign of what’s to come for others across the league.

The Jazz will air all of their games not exclusive to national TV in two places next season, on free over-the-air television locally on KJZZ and online with a new direct-to-consumer stream for its fans, in an attempt to reach as many viewers as possible. It’s a clear shift from the TV model NBA teams have preferred for years, trading in cable dollars to maximize the households it can reach.

“If you’ve got bunny ears on your TV,” Smith told The Athletic in an interview, “you can get Jazz games.”

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