Arizona’s Family, in partnership with the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, has announced a media rights deal that will bring every locally broadcast game to viewers for free in a statewide distribution model. The deal will utilize Arizona’s Family television stations KTVK (3TV) and the newly launched KPHE (Arizona’s Family Sports & Entertainment Network). The new media rights deal will make the Suns and Mercury games available to nearly 2.8 million households across all three of Arizona’s media markets, tripling the teams’ reach to fans who have been unable to access the games through its previous distribution arrangement with a non-broadcast regional sports network.
The Suns will have a minimum of 70 games broadcast each season, with at least 40 regular-season games on KTVK and the remaining on KPHE. KTVK will air a total of 13 Mercury regular season games and all available post-season games, with the remaining regular season games airing on KPHE. Fans will also be able to watch games through a DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) streaming option alongside the over-the-air broadcast product powered by Kiswe. Subscribers will be able to access the DTC streaming through a Suns or Mercury branded app on their smartphones or Smart TVs.
« We’re thrilled this partnership will connect our loyal family of viewers with the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, » said Pat LaPlatney, President & Co-CEO of Arizona’s Family parent, Gray Television. « In a very short window, Mat Ishbia has begun to build a world-class organization both on and off the court. And with today’s announcement, Mat has made good on his promise to focus on the community and put their fans first. We are very pleased to play a part in that effort with our stations in Phoenix, Tucson, and ultimately Yuma. »
The first Phoenix Mercury game will air live on KTVK and simulcast on KPHE Thursday, May 25th at 7p.m. when the Mercury take on the Minnesota Lynx. The agreement is subject to the approval of the NBA and WNBA and any required resolution with the incumbent regional sports partner. The agreement is subject to various industry-standard terms and conditions that the parties did not disclose.
Keywords: Arizona’s Family, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, media rights deal, DTC streaming, Kiswe, NBA, WNBA.