Will the NBA Finals & NHL Stanley Cup Be Available In 4K?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, okay this is a big one. My Miami Heat will play the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Do you know if the games will be in 4K? (Please say yes!) And also, what about the Stanley Cup games? 4K or no 4K? — Mariel, Miami.

Mariel, the NBA Finals between your Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets will begin tomorrow night (June 1) at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The network will broadcast the entire series.

But will it broadcast the entire series, or even a game or two, in 4K?

Answer: No.

The NHL Stanley Cup playoff final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars will begin with game one on Saturday (June 3) on TNT. The basic cable network will broadcast the entire series.

But will it broadcast the entire series, or even a game or two, in 4K?

Answer: No.

Mariel, although 4K TVs are now in scores of millions of U.S. homes, the networks, generally speaking, still do not believe the added expense and trouble in doing a live sporting event in the format is worthwhile. Even a sporting event as important as pro basketball and hockey’s championship.

This has become the norm, unfortunately, in sports broadcasting. In case you didn’t notice, NBC didn’t do the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 4K, either, and CBS and Turner didn’t produce the March Madness college basketball tournament in the format.

Fox and ESPN are among the few networks that have invested in doing some live sports in 4K, and Fox’s 4K broadcasts are upscaled, meaning they are produced in 1080p HD and converted to 4K for the home transmission. (This is done because it’s less expensive than a so-called native 4K production — produced on site in 4K and transmitted to the home in 4K.)

Wish I had better news for you. But good luck with the Heat and 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.