Pro Sports, Distribution, and Profits

Botch

I'm not a huge sports fan, certainly not basketball, so I'm not the right guy to discuss/pontificate on this, but its happening here and might be worth some discussion.

The local noon news started off with the banner "Breaking News!", and it did again tonight. I figured it'd be about a certain guilty plea deal, but it wasn't. Rather, the Utah Jazz BB franchise announced that ALL their games will, once again, be broadcast on the local CBS affiliate, for free to anyone with rabbit ears or more. At noon they spent 14 of their 30 minute broadcast talking about it, so I guess its a big deal for BB fans.  
I'd figured as more and more folks get their sports/entertainment via streaming, and paying for it, WITH commercials, the oligarchs would continue going that route (give us your MONEEEYYYY!!!) but they reversed course here. The only "racing" I'd like to be following is MotoGP; when the two US races happen here (Laguna Seca in CA and some track in TX) its broadcast on NBC for free, but to watch any other would cost me $165/yr (I don't like it that much). I could probably watch the rest of the races for free via VPN and some research, but I'm retired and I don't wanna.  
The stories didn't really address the revenue issues, I'd be curious as to why the Jazz are the only NBA team able/willing to do this. Ideas?  Discuss.

Battleborn

They are not. The Suns in AZ and the Golden Knights in the NHL are also doing it. The regional sports networks that carried those teams are going/went bankrupt and decided to stop paying the teams the share of the revenue and are ceasing operations. This left the in market areas without a way to watch them. I know VGK has partnered with Scripps and are going to use an over the air station locally as well as some sort of streaming. I’m guessing they are figuring they are going to cut out the middle man with add revenue, but it will come at a significant cost to produce the content.