Scripps strikes local broadcast deal with Detroit Pistons

Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons are taking their local broadcasts over-the-air.

The franchise, which was one of 13 NBA teams under contract with Main Street Sports Group, owner of the now-defunct FanDuel Sports Networks, has officially inked a deal with Scripps Sports to broadcast games on local over-the-air affiliate WMYD TV20 Detroit in the Detroit market. Scripps will leverage its network of affiliates across Michigan to ensure full distribution throughout the market.

The Pistons are the first NBA team to strike a full-time local broadcast deal with Scripps. The local station group has similar arrangements with five NHL teams: the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, and Nashville Predators.

Per the announcement, the Pistons and Scripps will collaborate on a direct-to-consumer streaming service to be announced later, following in the footsteps of most other teams to shift their games from traditional regional sports networks to over-the-air affiliates.

“Over-the-air broadcasting has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to connect sports teams with their fans,” Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports, said in the announcement. “As we are seeing right now, the fandom around the Pistons is high and every fan deserves to have access to Detroit Pistons games. Scripps Sports is proud to partner with the Pistons to deliver their games to more fans than ever before – because the best team in the East deserves the best broadcast platform in the NBA.”

Details about the broadcast team were not made available in the announcement. Longtime play-by-play announcer George Blaha completed his 46th season this year alongside analyst Greg Kesler, who has over two decades of experience as a Pistons commentator.

TV20 Detroit will produce the games, and presumably decide the on-air broadcast team. The channel will also produce pregame and postgame studio content, along with a weekly half-hour series dedicated to the Pistons.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but one can assume the Pistons will take a substantial decrease in media revenue as compared to its prior deal with Main Street. While most teams to transition to an over-the-air model have seen great jumps in viewership, most have also experienced .