Phoenix Suns, Mercury ink new TV deal that gives fans chance to watch all the games for free
The Phoenix Suns announced they will have their games televised and streamed "with or without a pay TV subscription," by Hello Gray Television, Inc. and Kiswe starting next season while the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury will air on them starting this season.
A news release stated that Gray Television and Kiswe will "deliver 100%" of the Suns and Mercury’s locally broadcasted games on television and through streaming.
"I’ve said from day one that our focus is our fans, our community, and every member of our organization and this deal checks every box," Suns and Mercury team owner Mat Ishbia said in a news release.
It's a drastic change from the recent norm in local sports television with the vast majority of teams in the NBA, MLB and NHL airing on a regional sports network. It's a blueprint that is in jeopardy due to cord-cutting.
The Suns are on a agreement up to five years while the Mercury have a two-year deal.
The Mercury open the 2023 regular season May 19 at the Los Angeles Sparks. ESPN/ESPN+ is handling the Mercury's first two games with the second being the home opener on May 21 against the Chicago Sky.
"By going entirely over the air and building our own DTC product, the Suns and Mercury will now be accessible to millions more fans in Arizona and globally," Ishbia continued. "Success comes from new and innovative ways to invest in our players, continue our mission to build a world-class organization on and off the floor, and make our product available to as many people as possible."
The teams are leaving Bally Sports Arizona, which was Fox Sports Arizona before rebranding in March 2021. It is one of 19 regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, which in March announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after it missed a $140 million interest payment.
At the time Diamond said it had about $425 million on hand to continue operating during bankruptcy. The company is seeking to negotiate a new agreement that would eliminate most of its roughly $8.67 billion debt. The plan would make Diamond a separate company from its current parent, Sinclair Broadcast Group.
At the start of spring training, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Diamond told the league that it intends to pay its contracts for this season, and he emphasized that "our first choice would be that Diamond pay the clubs what they're contractually obligated to pay them."
If Diamond is unable to pay teams, though, its broadcast agreements will be terminated. At that point, Manfred said, baseball would step in and produce games through MLB Network. It would then go directly to television providers such as Comcast, Spectrum and DirecTV and make an agreement to have those games distributed.
Financial details weren’t disclosed on the Suns/Mercury deal with Gray Television, Inc. and Kiswe.
With its headquarters in Atlanta, Gray Television is the "largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets in the United States," according to its website.
The new deal is projected to reach nearly 2.8 million households in Arizona. Kiswe gives fan access to Suns and Mercury games through a DTC streaming option alongside the over-the-air broadcast product.
Subscribers can access the DTC streaming through a Suns or Mercury branded app on their smartphones or Smart TVs. The Mercury will have free DTC streaming this season.
"Cord cutters, cable subscribers, fans with an antenna – everyone will be able to watch Suns and Mercury games on Arizona’s Family," Ishbia added in the news release. "Coupling that with a partnership with an industry leader like Kiswe to provide an innovative digital streaming solution allows us to transform the way fans watch our games, giving them more options and access than they’ve ever had."
The Republic's Theo Mackie contributed to this report.
Reach Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.