NBA’s San Antonio Spurs to Air 11 Games Over-the-Air, Free Streaming
The RSN industry is continuing to fall apart as the Spurs are just the latest team to move games to local broadcast channels
Over the past year, we have seen more and more professional sports teams move some or all of their games away from the traditional regional sports network (RSN) model in favor of a distinctly old-school approach of putting games on free, over-the-air (OTA) channels.
- San Antonio Spurs will air 11 games on CBS affiliate KENS.
- Games will also be available to stream for free in market.
- Trend of teams moving away from RSNs continues.
On Wednesday, TEGNA announced that its San Antonio market CBS affiliate KENS 5 will air 11 games from the hometown San Antonio Spurs during the 2023-24 NBA season, which will officially get underway later this month. As the official TV station of the Spurs, KENS will make its slate of games available to more than 1 million homes in and around San Antonio on its OTA broadcast network, the KENS 5 streaming app, the Spurs’ official mobile, and on cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services.
“As fans gear up for an epic season, we’re pleased to partner with the Spurs and the NBA to bring these 11 heart-pounding games to every single household across San Antonio,” TEGNA SVP Brad Ramsey said. “As local broadcasters, our stations have always been the home for live, local sports and lifelong sports fans. We’re incredibly proud of this partnership with the world-class Spurs Sports & Entertainment organization.”
There will be a ton of eyes on the Spurs this season as 19-year-old French phenom Victor Wembanyama looks to immediately have an impact on Greg Popovich’s team after being selected with the first pick in this past June’s NBA Draft.
What San Antonio Spurs Games Will Air on KENS?
KENS 5’s Spurs coverage will tip off on Monday, Nov. 20 as the team hosts the Clippers. Also highlighting the channel’s slate of games will be one of the games in the 2023-24 I-35 Series. The Spurs will take on the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 15.
KENS’s San Antonio Spurs 2023-24 Broadcast Schedule
(Game tip-offs indicated in Central Time.)
- Monday, Nov. 20: Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 24: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 23: San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 12: Charlotte Hornets at San Antonio Spurs, 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 27: Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 3: Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 10: San Antonio Spurs at Brooklyn Nets, 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 29: Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 12: Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 15: Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 5: San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans, 7 p.m.
Why Are Pro Sports Teams Airing More Game on Free Broadcast Channels?
This trend of teams moving games off of their RSN packages really began in earnest last year as the LA Clippers moved select games to KTLA 5 as part of its 2022-23 broadcast schedule. Since then, the Utah Jazz have also exited their RSN deal and are airing their games on a local OTA channel as well.
as the RSN industry has continued to undergo seismic shifts, we have seen the Phoenix Suns and other teams in the market move away from Bally Sports RSNs and the RSN covering Houston — including the Rockets — change ownership and name.
As more people continue to cut the cord, the infrastructure that has made RSNs profitable is becoming increasingly shaky. Warner Bros. Discovery has completely exited the RSN business and Diamond Sports Group (DSG) is in the middle of extremely tense bankruptcy proceedings in hopes of salvaging enough future revenue to keep its Bally Sports branded RSN channels alive.
While the audience for traditional broadcast channels continues to decline as well, there is a safety in airing games OTA, as it allows the widest distribution, providing access to those with and without a pay-TV subscription. The NBA has said that it is working on contingency plans in case DSG crumbles, leaving teams without broadcast outlets. And though leagues assuming more of the broadcasting responsibilities for their teams does seem to be a likely change to the business moving forward, including far more stable network affiliates might also be part of the equation for many professional teams and leagues moving forward.