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Cavaliers and Spurs Move Local Broadcasts to DAZN

Team-controlled game production is shifting onto DAZN in deals that could raise costs and fragment access for local fans.

Overview

  • The Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a multi-year deal with DAZN this week to stream most local games, with production moving in-house to Rock Entertainment Sports Network.
  • The San Antonio Spurs finalized a DAZN partnership that will stream regular-season and preseason games not picked up by national broadcasters and offer a free seven-day trial.
  • The Cavs plan major technical upgrades for RESN production, expanding from six to 19 cameras and adding COSM 10.5K systems plus AI and augmented-reality elements for alternate and multi-view broadcasts.
  • DAZN will sell team-specific subscriptions with tiered pricing (example tiers: $19.99/month and $119.99/year, plus higher "Ultimate" tiers) and both teams will still provide a limited number of over-the-air free simulcasts (15 Cavs games, 22 Spurs games).
  • Trade reporting says the Cavs’ DAZN deal is roughly $20 million per year over five years with an opt-out tied to a future NBA centralized local-broadcast hub, and the wider shift follows the collapse of multiple regional sports networks that left teams seeking direct-to-consumer options.