Except for three eras in franchise history — including this one — the Phoenix Suns have mostly been bottom-feeders in the NBA.
But they’ve become a must-watch team with Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker, and the new ownership certainly wants to make the most of it.
That’s why they’ve become a pioneer in a new era of streaming, joining the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in starting streaming their games for free.
Sun and Mercury fans will be able to stream games for free following a new partnership with local broadcaster Gray Television, according to Front Office Sports.
Fans of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury will be able to watch the games for free through a new media rights deal with Gray Television.
By leaving Bally Sports Arizona, Diamond Sports says the Suns “breached our contract and violated bankruptcy law”.https://t.co/5shSj18TgB
– Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 28, 2023
Reportedly, this will gain fans to more than 2.8 million households, which is more than three times the reach of their most recent partner, Bally Sports Arizona.
It’s worth noting that Diamond Sports — Bally’s parent company — filed for bankruptcy in March, opening the door for this deal to happen.
However, the company claims that Sun is in breach of its contract with Gray Television with this new agreement.
This new rights contract would begin with the upcoming WNBA season.
This will include free live streams through a new direct-to-consumer business model, partnering with streaming giant Kiswe to bring Sun and Mercury-branded apps to fans across the state.
Notably, this new shift could cost the franchise hundreds of millions in guaranteed money per year, so it would be a huge gamble by new owner Matt Ishbia, who bought the team from Robert Sarver for $4 billion earlier in the season.
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