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D'Backs to Air 15 - 20 Games OTA in 2025.

According to AZFamily, Arizona Diamondbacks have worked out a deal with the MLB to air 15 - 20 games over-the-air, and are currently in negotiations with multiple TV stations.

Team president Derrick Hall announced on Monday that the team is looking to air 15 to 20 games in the 2025 season on a local TV channel.

“We’ve talked to a number of our local stations about a small window that we’ve built in with MLB to have some games over the air. And so we’re working on those negotiations right now,” Hall said.
 
If AZFamily is running a story on it, I have to guess that they (3 and/or 44) have the inside track. They only have to work around the Suns in early and mid April.
I wouldn't count out Scripps and 61 either. I remember hearing last year that they almost had a deal with Scripps last season to air a handful of games, but the MLB squashed it. Since the Coyotes moved out of state, they don't have anything to show for their current existence.

However, AZFamily reporting it kind of seems like a hint though.
 
I can see this going a few different ways depending on how much over-the-air coverage the Diamondbacks want. AZFamily Sports if they they want State Wide, Scripps Sports on KASW Phoenix, KWBA Tucson if they are okay with most of the State except Yuma, or FOX KUTP plus another Station group in Tucson or NexStar KAZT Phoenix plus another Station group in Tucson if they don't mind dealing with multiple Station groups.
 
I can see this going a few different ways depending on how much over-the-air coverage the Diamondbacks want. AZFamily Sports if they they want State Wide, Scripps Sports on KASW Phoenix, KWBA Tucson if they are okay with most of the State except Yuma, or FOX KUTP plus another Station group in Tucson or NexStar KAZT Phoenix plus another Station group in Tucson if they don't mind dealing with multiple Station groups.
If this happens, Las Vegas could be involved in this as well as the D'backs along with all the CA teams claim that city as a market. If it goes to Gray (KPHO/KTVK), games probably go to KVVU's (FOX) 5.2 Silver State Sports subchannel, if it's Scripps (KASW) it'll likely be shown on KMCC.
 
If this happens, Las Vegas could be involved in this as well as the D'backs along with all the CA teams claim that city as a market. If it goes to Gray (KPHO/KTVK), games probably go to KVVU's (FOX) 5.2 Silver State Sports subchannel, if it's Scripps (KASW) it'll likely be shown on KMCC.
Lost Wages will have the A's in a few years. Now that they're out of Oakland and temporarily in Sacramento, I have no idea if LV can claim territorial rights yet, but it is coming. The D'backs probably won't be available.
 
I can see this going a few different ways depending on how much over-the-air coverage the Diamondbacks want. AZFamily Sports if they they want State Wide, Scripps Sports on KASW Phoenix, KWBA Tucson if they are okay with most of the State except Yuma, or FOX KUTP plus another Station group in Tucson or NexStar KAZT Phoenix plus another Station group in Tucson if they don't mind dealing with multiple Station groups.
AZFamily has KPHE on full-powered transmitters in all four major Arizona cities. Since Channel 44.2 is a subchannel of KPHO, I would think that Channel 5 translators would cover the rest of the state.

Does KASW have enough translators to cover most of the state?

KUTP could be another possibility, but they're on translators statewide... except Tucson and Yuma.

CW7 would be a problem. They are on a network of translators, again except Tucson, but their Phoenix signal doesn't cover even half the metro, being an LPTV. Back when they were KUSK in the 1990s, they were on several translators (IIRC, 17 on Usery Mountain, 55 Scottsdale, 27 South Mountain, and I think one more on White Tanks). But that's probably not possible now. They need to piggyback onto a full-power signal like KPHE does via KPHO.
 
AZFamily has KPHE on full-powered transmitters in all four major Arizona cities. Since Channel 44.2 is a subchannel of KPHO, I would think that Channel 5 translators would cover the rest of the state.

Does KASW have enough translators to cover most of the state?

KUTP could be another possibility, but they're on translators statewide... except Tucson and Yuma.

CW7 would be a problem. They are on a network of translators, again except Tucson, but their Phoenix signal doesn't cover even half the metro, being an LPTV. Back when they were KUSK in the 1990s, they were on several translators (IIRC, 17 on Usery Mountain, 55 Scottsdale, 27 South Mountain, and I think one more on White Tanks). But that's probably not possible now. They need to piggyback onto a full-power signal like KPHE does via KPHO.

Arizona 61 is on the same statewide translator network as ABC15 since they share their primary RF channel, IIRC (maybe DHett can confirm this).

While Arizona’s Family Sports is available with full power repeaters in Flagstaff and Yuma, will them being on a non-HD subchannel in Tucson be a deal-breaker for Gray? Scripps also has KWBA to work with, which is in HD.

Fox not owning a Tucson station makes them a long shot. Another long shot (but still a shot) would be TEGNA, which has stations in both Phoenix and Tucson. The question with that is will NBC be lenient about pre-emptions on KPNX?

Correction: AZFamily Sports is listed as being in HD on 13.3 in Tucson, according to RabbitEars.
 
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Really, this comes down to any of the five major commercial broadcasters here (yes, even you, Nexstar). The Diamondbacks TV territory includes Arizona plus Las Vegas, Utah, and New Mexico.

Gray probably has the inside track simply based on coverage quality within Arizona. This is why they spent the big bucks to build KAZF and KAZS. They'd immediately also get Las Vegas. Salt Lake City is a bit of a question mark, as Gray is building a station there that will require multiple transmitters to correctly serve the Wasatch Front (the new KCBU, not to be confused with the old KCBU). And the company has no New Mexico presence, though Arizona's Family Sports is available on Fubo in the Albuquerque DMA.

Scripps is in a similar position. It does not have a Yuma station, but it does have stations in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake. It actually owns duopolies in each market and has the secondary stations to air a slate of programming. Again, no New Mexico, but that's probably the least-important secondary market the Diamondbacks could serve.

Fox has to be considered, but the lack of any stations beyond Phoenix is probably what does them in. Fox has been less eager than other major broadcasters to add Big 4 pro sports and seems to only do so if it's being produced for them (KCOP has some hockey rights, and there are two notable WNBA exceptions, Seattle and New York). That would be the case in Phoenix, where KUTP is the GCU and ASU hockey station. But you're left with the same problem of signing up someone else to carry the ball in every other market, a someone that would have to be Gray or Scripps anyway at least for Tucson.

Tegna has the Phoenix and Tucson stations, but in Phoenix it lacks either a duopoly station or an easily identifiable secondary subchannel of KPNX. Local sports on a Tegna-owned NBC isn't unheard of. In fact, it's happened with the Indiana Fever (Tegna had the rights to 17 games last year, of which 7 aired on WTHR and 10 on WTHR's .2 subchannel and an associated Class A station). I think KING had some Kraken games on its own, too, this year. But you can't compare the Kraken or the Mavs, in Tegna duopoly markets, with the Diamondbacks.

Nexstar is a dark horse I would not have considered except that they just signed a deal for a Friday-only, 15-home-game package with the Texas Rangers. It's actually a historical shocker for KDAF in Dallas, which is airing local pro sports of note for the first time as a non-subscription TV station (read: over 40 years) and is probably one of the most underutilized TV stations in the country. Nexstar has the Vegas, Utah, and (unlike everyone else discussed) New Mexico stations, but again, Tucson would be a large issue, as would Yuma where options are particularly limited. They would also have to deal with a lot of people struggling with KAZT's metro Phoenix signal.

That brings us back to Gray and Scripps. Either one could do the job, but Gray probably has the edge because it can deliver Yuma. Nexstar or Scripps could still come in to fill the remaining markets in the TV territory, though beyond Vegas both are frankly gravy.
 
I don't know if this game is part of the proposed deal, but today's D'backs/Athletics game will air at 2:00 PM this afternoon on Channel 3. First D'backs game on KTVK since 2007. As the MLB website says that the game is on nationally via the NBC Sports app, I wonder if it'll involve the local announcers.
 
We're getting closer to the start of the season, and still nothing reported about the rights. Are they still in negotiations with the stations, or are they going to wait to announce closer to opening day?
 
My guess is they are still figuring things out. A few other teams such as the Braves and rangers will air 15 games ota. Earlier this week the Bruers announced they will air 13 games ota.
 
KPNX announced that they will be broadcasting 10 games this season. The games will be aired in Tucson (most likely KMSB or KTTU), as well as Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Yuma (no stations mentioned for those markets).


 
KPNX announced that they will be broadcasting 10 games this season. The games will be aired in Tucson (most likely KMSB or KTTU), as well as Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Yuma (no stations mentioned for those markets).


Interesting. I was not expecting KPNX to pick up D-Backs games because they are an NBC affiliate. I wonder what they will do with the NBC programming on those Friday nights. Also, I wonder what happened to the other 5 - 10 games the D-Backs were talking about airing over-the-air. Could they do a deal with another Station for the remaining games I wonder. 🤔
 
Interesting. I was not expecting KPNX to pick up D-Backs games because they are an NBC affiliate. I wonder what they will do with the NBC programming on those Friday nights. Also, I wonder what happened to the other 5 - 10 games the D-Backs were talking about airing over-the-air. Could they do a deal with another Station for the remaining games I wonder. 🤔
It'll probably get bumped to late night & pretty much Fridays on NBC are Dateline. Interesting too considering they are 2 independents in the Phoenix market in KASW & the station most thought would get it in KTVK (turns out the Vegas series earlier this month was merely just a deal with Gray considering KVVU (FOX Las Vegas) their sister station aired it there). Nice pickup for 12News especially a year after losing the Arizona Cardinals broadcast rights to KPHO/KTVK.
 


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