Mavericks Expand Texas Reach with New Over-the-Air TV Deal: 70 Games on Tap
The Dallas Mavericks announced a multi-year local broadcast agreement with TEGNA for games not exclusively nationally televised. By offering a free over-the-air broadcast, the deal expands the team’s reach to an estimated reach of 10 million people across Texas—a figure estimated to be over three times the team’s previous reach.
“We are looking forward to giving Dallas Mavericks fans every opportunity possible to watch our exciting team build on the momentum of its incredible run to the NBA Finals last season,” Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said in a statement. “Our new agreement with TEGNA helps meaningfully deliver on that goal by broadcasting more games to more local homes than in any period in franchise history. Through our new partnership with TEGNA and our expanded relationship with WFAA, more Mavs fans than ever before will be able to watch the team they love.”
The new deal comes weeks after the NBA announced on Aug. 23 that Diamond Sports Group had finalized contracts with 13 teams. The Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, previously broadcast by Bally Sports Southwest in the prior deal, elected not to renew their agreement.
How to Watch the Dallas Mavericks
Beginning with the Mavericks’ matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 26, KMPX Dallas-Ft. Worth (Ch. 29) will broadcast all games not exclusively televised nationally. The count for those games is 70 or more in the first season, with 15 or more games simulcast on WFAA Dallas-Ft. Worth (Ch. 8). WFAA will also broadcast five games as part of the exclusive national NBA schedule: Dec. 25 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 25 vs. Boston, Feb. 23 @ Golden State, Mar. 9 vs Phoenix, and Mar. 16 vs. Philadelphia.
Additional reach outside of Dallas includes TEGNA stations in Waco (KCEN and KAGS), Tyler (KYTX), Midland-Odessa (KWES), Abilene (KXVA), and San Angelo (KIDY) for non-nationally televised games. More Texas markets are expected to be announced in the coming days. For all out-of-market viewers, the procedure to watch remains through NBA League Pass. Based on the details, the use of a digital tv antenna seems required. For those with questions, WFAA has information on how to setup an antenna.
Broadcast Details to Come Later
With this agreement, WFAA becomes the Mavericks’ official local broadcast partner with plan to provide extensive Mavericks coverage from lead sports anchor Joe Trahan. The talent for the Mavericks’ television broadcast has yet to be announced, with an announcement to come at a later date.
With Bally Sports Southwest, Mark Followill served as the play-by-play announcer on a broadcast team including former NBA players Derek Harper and Devin Harris, along with Jeff “Skin” Wade and Lesley McCaslin. A new studio is expected to be part of the Mavericks’ long-term broadcast plans in addition to a streaming service.
The advantage for KMPX over WFAA is explained by stronger signal power. For those curious about the current Spanish-language content currently airing on Ch. 29, it will be relocated to a different channel before the NBA season as KMPX will be rebranded. It will become a locally programmed independent station. More information is expected closer to the start of the season.
