RSNs in Flux: NBA Teams on the Move

If you’re a Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, or Portland Trailblazers fan, you may be confused about where to find some games due to the changes these five teams made to their local media providers during the offseason.

Over the past year, several regional sports networks have changed hands, been abandoned, or struggled to emerge from bankruptcy. While there’s still some turmoil as the NBA season continues toward the Feb. 14-19 All-Star break, one constant is that DIRECTV remains committed to local NBA teams and the fans who support them.

“We continue to believe in the unique power of local sports teams to unite the communities they call home, and we will continue collaborating with the top leagues, local franchises, and media partners to cultivate future generations of fans,” says DIRECTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun. “We have always prided ourselves on being a sports leader and intend to remain at the forefront.”

To that end, DIRECTV recently renewed all 19 Main Street Sports Group regional sports networks that provide NBA fans with Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs games. All those RSNs are now known as “FanDuel Sports.” DIRECTV is also the first – and so far only – major provider to launch the new Chicago Sports Network, which began providing Chicago Bulls games this season.

Although most Bulls, Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic, Spurs, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards fans have enjoyed a seamless transition during the first half of the 2024-25 NBA season, that’s not necessarily the case for at least some fans of teams that moved their games.

Here’s the most up-to-date, team-by-team rundown of where things currently stand as the 2024-25 NBA season continues toward the Feb. 14-19 NBA All-Star break.

How to Watch NBA

CHICAGO BULLS

The Bulls moved to the new Chicago Sports Network from their former home at NBC Sports Chicago, which has shut down. DIRECTV is currently the only major provider that has launched the Chicago Sports Network, making the transition seamless and simple for all Bulls fans. Any satellite, streaming, or U-verse customers who received NBC Sports Chicago before are now getting Chicago Sports Network—and in the same channel position. And that’s not just for the fans in Chicago, but anywhere else in the Bulls’ five-state home region that got games before.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

The Mavericks moved their games off Bally Sports Southwest to TEGNA’s Dallas-Fort Worth broadcast stations WFAA-ABC and KFAA-IND, as well as other TEGNA stations in Abilene (KXVA), Midland-Odessa (KWES), San Angelo (KIDY), Tyler (KYTX), and Waco (KCEN/KAGS). DIRECTV has an ongoing agreement with TEGNA to enable all satellite customers to receive those games and recently expanded it to include all streaming customers too. They are also now available across the rest of the Maverick’s home territory in northern and central Texas, Oklahoma other than Oklahoma City, northern Louisiana, and western Arkansas.

DENVER NUGGETS

DIRECTV has been the only major provider to offer Altitude Sports and its Nuggets coverage, which will continue for all the satellite, streaming, or U-verse customers who have previously received Nuggets games. The Nuggets began the season by moving 20 games to TEGNA’s KUSA-NBC and KTVD-MNT in Denver. DIRECTV has an ongoing agreement with TEGNA to enable all satellite customers to receive those games and recently expanded it to include all streaming customers too.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

The Pelicans moved their games from Bally Sports New Orleans, which has shut down, to a new consortium of local broadcast stations owned by Gray Television, collectively known as the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network. Anchored by Gray’s WVUE-FOX/Bounce TV in New Orleans, the new consortium includes several other stations across Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and Alabama. The Pelicans have also launched their own subscription streaming service, Pelicans+, as a lifeline to fans. DIRECTV is working with Gray TV to potentially make the Pelicans telecasts available to satellite, streaming, and U-verse customers in the core New Orleans metro region while also enabling other fans who live further away to see the team, too. In the meantime, any DIRECTV via Internet customer already has a Gemini set-top box, so they can download the Pelicans+ app and watch Pelicans games as part of their usual DIRECTV experience. Satellite customers who have yet to upgrade to a Gemini set-top box can learn more here.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

The Trailblazers moved their games to Sinclair Broadcast Group’s broadcast stations KATU-ABC and KUNP in Portland, which will drop its Univision affiliation in January to provide Blazers games to that core metro region. KUNP will anchor a consortium of Sinclair stations collectively known as Rip City Network, serving Portland, Seattle, and the rest of the Blazers’ home territory across Oregon and Washington. DIRECTV has an ongoing agreement with Sinclair to enable all satellite and streaming customers to see those games.