Will the NBA And NHL Playoffs Be In 4K? Yes and No
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, do you know if any of the NBA and NHL playoffs will be in 4K? I think it would look great on my 4K TV, particularly the hockey games. — Michael, Madison, Wisconsin.
Michael, the 2023 NBA and NHL playoffs are underway and will continue until June. ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS and TNT will broadcast the hockey matches while TNT, NBA TV, ESPN and ABC will do the NBA games.
So will any of those networks offer those games in 4K, you ask.
Answer: No.
However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be NBA and NHL games in 4K.
DIRECTV will air the home playoff games of the Denver Nuggets (Altitude Sports), Colorado Avalanche (Altitude), Los Angeles Lakers (Spectrum SportsNet LA) and Boston Bruins (NESN) in 4K. The satcaster carries both the HD and 4K feeds of Altitude, SportsNet LA and NESN which will broadcast the games. For example, DIRECTV tonight will provide Altitude’s Seattle Kraken-Colorado Avalanche broadcast in 4K at 10 p.m. ET on channel 107.
(If you were thinking that you could watch the 4K feed on DIRECTV if you’re a NBA League Pass or NHL Center Ice subscriber, you’re probably out of luck. The two plans do not provide playoff games, just regular season games. However, it might be worth tuning into channel 107 if you are a NHL Center Ice subscriber just in case there’s a change.)
Michael, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
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What a travesty that one of the major sports networks has the capability but not the no how to broadcast the NHL Stanley Cup finals in 4K. HD was fine when TV screens were 34”, but now with the average screen being about 60+”, it looks like a blurry mess again. Think I’ll stick to English Premiere League football that has the foresight to cover most of their games in 4K and values their customers more than ABC/Disney.