The Cavs now have another route for fans to find their local broadcasts, but that doesn’t mean the viewing headache is gone.
On Monday, DirecTV and DAZN announced a multiyear agreement that will carry local games for the Cavs, Pacers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves and Spurs. According to DirecTV’s announcement, the arrangement covers DirecTV streaming, satellite and U-verse customers inside each team’s designated home territory.
That broadens the satellite-only option that Hoops Wire reported over the weekend. For fans already paying for one of those services, the news is straightforward: the team is easier to find.
For everyone else, the basic problem remains. Fans with Spectrum, YouTube TV or other providers still do not get an answer that fixes the frustration around needing yet another subscription to watch their local team.
The switch to DAZN has already sparked plenty of backlash, with fans openly questioning why access to their hometown team should require another monthly bill. Adding DirecTV may help some viewers, but it has not exactly quieted the criticism.
The new deal does extend beyond satellite customers, which matters. Still, for fans outside those included services, Monday’s announcement doesn’t change the central issue: what else do they have to pay for?
There are also unresolved questions about package requirements and whether existing DAZN subscribers who qualify through DirecTV can get any refund. The announcement on X did not address those details.
So yes, this is progress. It gives some fans a cleaner path to the Cavs and gives the team a better response than it had a week ago.
But for the fans who still can’t watch on the service they already have, there’s not much reason to celebrate yet.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Is Giving The Cavs Something They May Really Need
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For a team built to defend at a high level, the issue goes beyond two big men doing their job. Rebounding on the defensive end has to be a full-team task, with guards and wings helping close possessions before they turn into second opportunities, and this one offered another reminder that the Cavaliers still have work to do there if they want to make wins look cleaner. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Win Just Sparked An Officiating Debate Fans Will Be Talking About
The Cavaliers overtime win over the Timberwolves is already the kind of result that gets replayed, but the NBAs Last Two Minute Report added another layer to the discussion. The league identified two officiating mistakes that worked in Clevelands favor, while also backing several other calls from the final stretch, including the non-flagrant ruling on Donovan Mitchell and a foul on Jaden McDaniels.
What stood out most was how thin the margins were late, when every whistle can reshape a games finish. The report said a key call should have gone the other way on the final possession of regulation, and it also marked an overtime foul involving Mitchell and LaMelo Ball as incorrect because the contact was deemed incidental, leaving plenty for fans to debate even after the result is in the books. [Read more 🡒]