By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former Sony employee and editor of 4 TV magazines.
TV Answer Man, there’s a Bally Sports NBA game showing on Amazon’s Prime schedule now and it says it’s included with Prime. Is this the beginning of Amazon’s streaming of the Bally Sports games? — Vin, Miami.
Vinnie, Amazon has agreed to invest $115 million in Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports regional sports networks which offer coverage of MLB, NHL and NBA games in select markets. As part of that partnership, Amazon is expected to offer Bally Sports broadcasts on its Prime Video service.
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However, the Diamond Sports investment has yet to be finalized in court (Diamond Sports is closing a bankruptcy reorganization plan) so Amazon has not begun offering the Bally Sports games yet. The Bally Sports broadcasts now posted as ‘upcoming’ on Amazon Prime Video are actually from the NBA League Pass which is providing them for free as part of a promotion with League Pass providers. For instance, an Amazon spokeswoman tells The TV Answer Man that 13 League Pass games will be free on Prime Video on April 12. (Local blackouts still apply.)
The NBA League Pass is the league’s plan for out-of-market regular season games. The cost of the plan on Prime Video is $14.99 a month.
Vin, 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.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
