Local NBA streaming rises
- In‑market streaming of local NBA games now accounts for over 15% of total local game consumption. - That compares with roughly 5–6% two years ago and is on track to climb toward a third of consumption. - The trend points to growing demand for streaming infrastructure, subscription systems, and ad‑tech in sports distribution (sportsbusinessjournal.com).
Watching your home NBA team no longer means keeping a cable bundle. In local markets, streaming now makes up more than 15% of all local game consumption, according to Sports Business Journal. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) Playfly Sports chief executive Craig Sloan told Sports Business Journal that local-game streaming was about 5% to 6% of the audience two years ago. He said the share is now above 15% and “could get to a third” of total local consumption. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) The gains showed up alongside local audience growth for five teams this season: the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. Sports Business Journal reported that streaming helped lift those clubs’ local numbers in the 2025-26 season. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) What changed is distribution. Teams and regional sports networks have spent the past two seasons adding direct-to-consumer products that let fans buy local games without a pay-TV subscription. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) Denver’s Altitude+ sells in-market Nuggets streams for $19.95 a month or $199.99 a year, and the team’s NBA.com watch page says it is the streaming home for local Nuggets games. (altitudesports.com) (nba.com) Chicago Sports Network now sells a Bulls-only package for $19.99 a month or an all-access package for $29.99 a month. Its subscription page says fans do not need a cable subscription to buy and stream the service inside the network’s territory. (subscribe.chsn.com) Philadelphia added another route in March 2025, when Peacock launched an in-market add-on for NBC Sports Philadelphia. NBC Sports Philadelphia says that package carries live 76ers games for eligible viewers in the home territory. (peacocktv.com) (nbcsportsphiladelphia.com) Portland paired streaming with free broadcast television. The Trail Blazers’ watch page says local fans can get games free over the air on the Rip City Television Network or stream them on BlazerVision. (nba.com) The old regional sports network model is also under pressure. CNBC reported in May 2025 that FanDuel Sports Network had reached 650,000 paid streaming subscribers and was targeting 1 million by the end of that year, while Sports Media Watch reported this month that Main Street Sports Group is winding down operations after failing to find a buyer. (cnbc.com) (sportsmediawatch.com) That instability is pushing the league toward a bigger digital plan. SportsPro and The Desk, citing Sports Business Journal, reported in March that the National Basketball Association is considering a league-run streaming hub for local broadcasts as soon as next season. (sportspro.com) (thedesk.net) For fans, the shift is simple: more local games now come through apps sold team by team, market by market. For the league and its distributors, the next fight is over who owns the checkout page, the customer data and the ad inventory that come with those streams. (sportsbusinessjournal.com)
