ideastream_org
For Cleveland Cavaliers fans, locating the team's games on television has become an arduous task this season. Sports commentator Terry Pluto, speaking with Ideastream Public Media, likened the situation to a roving dice game, with viewers never quite sure where the action will pop up next.
The Cavaliers' local television rights have bounced from SportsChannel Ohio to Fox Sports Ohio, then to Bally Sports and FanDuel, as the regional sports network model deteriorated. After its parent company declared bankruptcy and encountered financial difficulties, Main Street Sports Group revealed plans to cease operations in 2026, compelling the Cavaliers to seek a new broadcast partner.
Ultimately, the team secured a multiyear agreement with DAZN, reportedly valued at approximately $20 million per year—a decline of about 43% from its previous contract. DAZN initially offered 15 games for free streaming and also reached a deal with DirecTV and U-verse to make Cavaliers games available to those subscribers, broadening access beyond its own platform.
These hurdles are not unique to Cleveland. Pluto pointed out that the struggle to find games is a league-wide issue. "This chaos for finding games is going on all over the NBA," he said. "It started some with baseball a year ago. It's just getting worse."
The Cleveland Guardians encountered similar obstacles earlier than many other MLB teams. They departed from Bally Sports Great Lakes after the 2024 season and teamed up with Major League Baseball to produce and distribute their games starting in 2025. Fans can watch via local cable and satellite providers, the team's streaming service CLEGuardians.TV, and select free over-the-air broadcasts on WKYC.
Pluto noted that the NFL has largely sidestepped these problems because its games are tied to lucrative national television contracts. "They're just a powerhouse because they have only 17 regular season games," he said. "It's not like where you put on 162 games in baseball or 82 in basketball."
The shifting broadcast landscape is especially challenging for fans who rely on traditional cable, Pluto added. "It's too bad because, especially an older fan base, I mean, I know people that build their days around watching the games," he said. "Some people I know, I have a cousin who had been battling cancer for quite a while and the Guardians, I mean he just could not wait for the next Guardians game."
Pluto expressed uncertainty about the future of sports broadcasting. "It seems like the leagues have not been able to come up with a really good system of how to present their games," he said. "You know what they're gonna find is, like people just say, 'Well, forget it. I don't need to see these games all the time.'"
He emphasized that teams must consider how these changes affect their long-time supporters. "At least Guardians TV was able to cut deals with both Spectrum and Direct TV," Pluto said. "So those of us who are kind of stuck in the older way of doing it, we're still able to get the games. Now that was last year. Will that be this way this year? You don't know. And that's your problem. And now you're making it hard for people to be loyal TV fans of your team. And that's got to change."
Originally reported by ideastream_org.