Official: New Orleans Pelicans to Show 10 Games on Over-The-Air Broadcast Stations in 3 States
Official: New Orleans Pelicans to Show 10 Games on Over-The-Air Broadcast Stations in 3 States
Gray Television stations including Fox 8 in New Orleans will offer 10 Pelicans games in major markets in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Even as Bally Sports channels have some hope for long-term survival for what seems like the first time in months, one team whose games are primarily broadcast on a Bally Sports network will be showing a small selection of them elsewhere. The New Orleans Pelicans have officially announced that they’ll air 10 games on local broadcast networks owned by Gray Television this season, as The Streamable first reported was possible in early December.
- Pelicans games will be shown on stations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
- The 10-game schedule starts with the Pelicans’ game against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 12.
- The Pelicans are due to find a new local broadcast partner after the 2023-24 season, though a return to Bally Sports is not out of the question.
Which Channels Will Host Pelicans Games Now?
The 10 Pelicans games that will be broadcast on over-the-air (OTA) channels over the course of the 2023-24 season will be on WVUE Fox 8 and Bounce TV in New Orleans and will be available through top cable and satellite providers in the area such as DIRECTV, Comcast, Cox, Spectrum and DISH. In addition, the games will be simulcast on stations in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Alexandria in Louisiana; Biloxi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and Meridian in Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.
“We know people in this region are passionate about their sports. We are thrilled to partner with the Pelicans and make these games available for all fans,” Gray CEO Sandy Breland said.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Bally Sports New Orleans | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Bounce TV | + $22 | + $59 | - | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $18 | |
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | VOD | - | VOD | ✓ | |
Will All Pelicans Games Be on Broadcast Channels Next Season?
It’s doubtful that this shift of 10 Pelicans games to broadcast channels portends a full shift to broadcast outlets next season. However, it’s not impossible; the Utah Jazz left their former regional sports network (RSN) home AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain this season, and now the team airs its games on KJZZ in Utah. The Phoenix Suns also play their games on OTA channels in Arizona.
Cable advertising pays more than broadcast because of the expanded reach of cable channels, so it’s likely the Pelicans would prefer to keep their local broadcasts primarily on cable if possible. The team’s current broadcast partner is Bally Sports New Orleans, but its deal with that channel runs out after the 2023-24 season. For some time it seemed that Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports Group might be closing up shop for good after 2024, but a recent report suggests that Amazon could make a sizable investment in that company.
A partnership with Amazon could convince the Pelicans and other teams to get back with Bally Sports channels, but all of those scenarios are simple hypotheticals for now. What’s known for sure is that 10 Pelicans games will air on Fox 9 and other local channels in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama markets.
What is the Schedule for New Orleans Pelicans Games on Broadcast Channels?
| DATE | DAY | TIME | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 12 | Friday | 8 p.m. | at Denver |
| Jan. 19 | Friday | 7 p.m. | vs. Phoenix |
| Feb. 9 | Friday | 9:30 p.m. | at L.A. Lakers |
| Feb. 27 | Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. | at N.Y. Knicks |
| March 1 | Friday | 7 p.m. | vs. Indiana |
| March 22 | Friday | 7 p.m. | at Miami |
| March 26 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Oklahoma City |
| April 7 | Sunday | 5 p.m. | at Phoenix |
| April 12 | Friday | 9 p.m. | at Golden State |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Bally Sports+
Bally Sports+ was a direct-to-consumer streaming service that provided live, in-market games without requiring a cable or satellite subscription. It allowed fans to watch their local Bally Sports regional sports network (RSN) without a traditional TV package.