The Cavaliers are making a major change to how fans watch their games, and for longtime viewers, it could feel like one more hurdle in a league that keeps asking people to chase the action across screens and subscriptions.
Cleveland announced Tuesday that its local broadcasts are moving to DAZN, a streaming service that will cost $19.99 per month. The team said 15 games will still be available free over the air, and 17 national broadcasts are also part of the mix.
For the rest, DAZN will be the door. That means downloading the app, creating an account, entering a credit card and figuring out which television can actually run it. For a fan who has spent decades finding the Cavs the same way every night, that is a much different routine.
NBA games already live in a scattered world. Some are still on traditional television, while others have moved to streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, which carried Cavs playoff games last season.
The frustration here isn’t about resisting change for the sake of it. The league is evolving, and so are the business models around it. But the way those changes land matters, especially for fans who have been with a team for 40 or 50 years.
That’s where Phoenix offers a sharp contrast. Suns owner Mat Ishbia moved games to free over-the-air television in 2023, and the team recently extended that setup through 2030. At least 75 Suns regular-season games will be available free in Arizona, keeping the viewing process as simple as it gets: turn on the TV, find the channel, watch Devin Booker.
Cleveland, meanwhile, is putting real money into the new broadcast setup. The Cavaliers are moving from six cameras to 19 and adding new technology, with a significant investment behind the production.
That may make for a better broadcast. It still doesn’t solve the basic problem for the fan who just wants to watch the game without turning it into a tech project.
I’ve covered the NBA full-time for more than two decades, and I’ve watched the league move from local television to regional sports networks to streaming services, national streaming services and apps scattered everywhere. Some of that shift was inevitable.
But accessibility shouldn’t mean accessible only to people who know how to navigate six different streaming services.
That matters in a sport where fandom gets handed down. The 75-year-old who watched Bingo Smith might be the reason his 45-year-old daughter became a Cavs fan, who might be the reason her 15-year-old son watches Donovan Mitchell.
The NBA wants younger viewers, and it should. It just shouldn’t forget the people who were there before those viewers were born.
In Other News...
Cavs Pipeline Added A Guard Worth Watching Closely
The Cavaliers development pipeline picked up another intriguing backcourt piece this week when the Cleveland Charge landed guard Kadary Richmond in a four-team trade that also sent Malaki Branham to the Osceola Magic. Richmond has already gotten a small taste of the NBA this season with the Washington Wizards, but most of his work came with the Capital City Go-Go, where he showed a well-rounded game as a lead guard and kept himself on the radar.
For Cleveland, the move is about more than just adding depth. Richmond gives the Charge another guard worth evaluating in a system that has become an important part of the organizations bigger picture, and the deal also brought back a 2027 first-round G-League draft pick. The real question now is how quickly Richmond can carve out a role and turn a fresh opportunity into something that matters for the Cavs long-term guard inventory. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Broadcast News Leaves One Franchise Voice In Question
The Cavaliers new multi-year broadcast agreement with DAZN brings a fresh look to how fans will follow the team, and the club made sure to identify the on-air personalities set to be part of the arrangement. It is a notable shift for a franchise that has long treated its television and game-day voices as part of the teams identity, especially with a familiar cast expected to carry the new setup forward.
Austin Carrs name, though, was absent from the announcement, leaving one of the most recognizable figures in Cavaliers broadcast history in an uncertain spot. Carr has been a longtime franchise voice, and with no official statement clarifying any change, his role in the new era remains unresolved for now. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cavs Big Man Is Getting One More NBA Chance
The 76ers have brought Tacko Fall back into the NBA mix ahead of the new season, giving the towering center another chance to stick at the highest level. Fall spent the 2021-22 season with the Cavaliers, and since then he has continued his career overseas while waiting for another door to open in the league.
At 7-foot-6, Fall remains one of the most recognizable big men in basketball, with his size and shot-blocking still the traits that keep him in the conversation. Philadelphia is now the latest team willing to take a look, and for a player who has bounced between opportunities, the challenge is the same as ever: turn a fresh signing into a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]