The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury have agreed to a two-year extension with Gray Media to broadcast their games free over the air in Arizona at a rate of more than $30 million per season.
The deal restores the money left on the table when the Suns walked away from their partnership with Diamond Sports in 2023. The Suns’ local ratings more than doubled.
“It’s been a win-win,” Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia told ESPN. “It was do right by the fans and get the games more accessible. And when you grow your fanbase, good things happen.”
Over the next two years, 18 teams will have their RSN deals expire and the NBA is looking for ways to create options both over-the-air and on streaming platforms.
“Everyone wanted to wait-and-see, it’s a big thing to take less (local television) money or even no money and trust it,” Ishbia said. “Hopefully it can be a blueprint for other NBA teams. You do right by the customer and good things tend to happen.”