LeBron James' message to OKC? 'Go get another [ring]'
LeBron James tells OKC Thunder to 'go get another ring' after playoff sweep.
The Detroit Pistons have secured a local broadcast deal with Scripps Sports to air games on WMYD TV20 Detroit. This makes them the first NBA team to establish a full-time local broadcast agreement with Scripps.
Mentioned in this story
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 .
The deal marks the Detroit Pistons as the first NBA team to have a full-time local broadcast agreement with Scripps Sports, enhancing their game visibility in the Detroit market.
Detroit Pistons games will be broadcast on WMYD TV20 Detroit as part of their new agreement with Scripps Sports.
Scripps Sports will utilize its network of affiliates across Michigan to ensure comprehensive distribution of Pistons games throughout the market.
LeBron James tells OKC Thunder to 'go get another ring' after playoff sweep.
Sven Ulreich remains with Bayern Munich as Neuer extends contract
New Bill Seeks to Protect Kids from Exploitative Youth Sports Practices
Rumor: Broncos vs Steelers set for Black Friday showdown at 3 PM ET
Brandon Nimmo is back in the Rangers' lineup, and Nathan Eovaldi may start this Sunday.

Triton takes the lead at the HNAC track meet with standout performances!
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
The length of the deal between Scripps and the Pistons also was not disclosed. Prior reports suggest NBA teams are looking to ink short-term deals, perhaps one season in length, in order to remain flexible if the league were to launch a centralized local broadcast platform for the 2027-28 season.
The post Scripps strikes local broadcast deal with Detroit Pistons appeared first on Awful Announcing.