With Ja Morant out of the lineup and aiming to shape a new project almost from scratch, the Memphis Grizzlies have announced that they have sealed a deal with DAZN to make this platform responsible for their local broadcasts from now on.
To be precise, the British streaming platform will air four preseason games and up to 78 regular-season games, with 15 of those games available free of charge on the DAZN app, being broadcast simultaneously on local over-the-air television.
As for the territory these broadcasts will cover, it spans up to seven U.S. states: Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, the central and southern parts of Illinois, and the eastern portion of Arkansas.
Beyond the change of the company distributing the content, the Grizzlies state in their press release that the broadcast team will remain unchanged: Pete Pranica starts his 23rd season as the team’s television play-by-play commentator, Brevin Knight begins his 17th season as color analyst, and Rob Fischer kicks off his 20th season as the sideline reporter.
This shift in the NBA broadcasting landscape isn’t surprising. Sports Business Journal reported at the end of July that DAZN was projected to carry local broadcasts for several teams, a move supported by the fact that Memphis and other organizations had been working with Main Street Sports Group for their local telecasts, a company that is set to cease operations soon.
