The Orlando Magic are moving into a much more accessible TV setup for the 2027 season, and the headline is simple: fans will be able to watch the team for free on over-the-air television.
The club has struck a new partnership with COX Media in Orlando that puts Magic games on WRDQ TV 27, with select games also airing on WFTV Channel 9, Orlando’s ABC affiliate. For the first time, every Magic game will be available free over the air, and fans can get the broadcasts through a cable provider or with an antenna or digital antenna.
The primary home for the team’s local games will be WRDQ TV 27. All non-nationally televised games will air there, complete with a full pregame and postgame show.
The broadcast will be handled by Dante Marchitelli, Jeff Turner and Kendra Douglas. WFTV will also carry other original content during the season as part of the multiyear agreement.
“We are excited to partner with the Cox Media Group to serve as our over-the-air partner for live games, replays, pregame and postgame coverage, and original programming,” Magic President of Business Operations Charlie Freeman said in a press release. “WRDQ TV 27 and WFTV Channel 9 will provide Magic fans great access, strong consistency and a direct connection to the team all season long.”
Darren Moore, the VP/GM for WFTV/WRDQ, said in a press release: “We are excited for this partnership, which will make Magic basketball even more accessible to fans throughout Central Florida,” said WFTV/WRDQ VP/GM Darren Moore in a press release. “Combining the brands of Central Florida's news leader and the Orlando Magic together will foster a commitment to delivering high-quality local sports programming and creating new avenues for fans to connect with the team.”
The team said it will announce networks across the rest of its regional footprint later. The expectation is that those markets will follow a similar over-the-air model, with no cable subscription or extra fee needed for local broadcasts. Jacksonville’s Action News has already said it will air games on its newly created Jacksonville Action Sports channel.
There’s also a direct-to-consumer streaming option coming later, and the long-rumored DAZN connection has been mentioned as part of that setup. The Magic are producing these games themselves, so the broadcasts are expected to keep the feel of the team’s previous telecasts.
One important detail: the Magic’s non-national games will be on WRDQ TV 27, and it appears there will not be a local broadcast for national TV games. The full 2026-27 schedule is set to be released Thursday afternoon.
For fans, the biggest shift is the simplest one. The games are free, and the reach should be as wide as it gets locally. If you have access to your local channels, you should be able to find the Magic.
The path here has been a long one. The Magic began their life splitting games between the regional sports network Sunshine Network and the Orlando Magic Television Network, which aired on WKCF-18 in Orlando and other stations around the state. That arrangement lasted for several years before the team moved to WRBW-65 in the late 1990s.
After that, the Magic spent much of the last two decades on cable. FOX Sports Florida became the team’s local home after taking over from Sunshine Network and launching FOX Sports Network Florida, and it eventually became the exclusive broadcaster for Magic games.
Later, FOX Sports Florida became Bally Sports Florida after the network was purchased by Main Street Sports following Disney’s purchase of FOX, since ESPN could not also control the regional sports networks because of antitrust concerns. Bally Sports Florida then became FanDuel Sports Network.
That setup unraveled quickly when Main Street Sports filed for bankruptcy a few years ago, throwing the regional sports network business into chaos. The company ultimately decided to shut down its regional sports network at the end of this season.
The collapse pushed the Magic, along with nearly a dozen other teams, into the market for a new TV home. Several clubs in similar situations have gone the over-the-air route, while others have built direct-to-consumer streaming options. The Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning, also formerly on FanDuel Sports Network, found new homes this season, with the Lightning using a similar over-the-air model and landing on WRBW-Channel 65 in Orlando.
For the Magic, though, the big story is access. No cable bill is required for the local broadcasts.
An antenna is enough. For fans who have cut the cord, WFTV-Channel 9 and WRDQ TV 10 are streaming on YouTube TV, so local channel access should still open the door to Magic games.
Outside of Central and North Florida, the team’s streaming option will be announced later.
It’s a new setup for the Magic, and one built around reach. The games are free, the channels are local, and the next step is simply waiting for the season to begin.
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There is still some work to do before the full picture is complete. The Magic are finalizing additional station arrangements for games that fall outside the primary Orlando lineup, and they are also lining up a direct-to-consumer streaming option that could involve DAZN, which would give fans another way to follow the team beyond the local broadcast window. [Read more 🡒]