Utah Jazz to air games on KJZZ and new streaming platform
Outside of what the Utah Jazz are going to do with their three first-round draft picks during Thursday’s NBA draft, the thing that Jazz fans have been most eagerly awaiting this offseason is news of what the next broadcast deal would look like for their favorite team. Well, the wait is over.
Tuesday the Jazz announced that Smith Entertainment Group — the parent company of the Utah Jazz, owned by Ryan Smith — is launching SEG Media, a production company that will distribute all Jazz games.
“Our top priority has always been providing the best fan experience possible. When we first took over stewardship of the team, 39% of Utah households had the ability to watch Jazz games,” Smith said in a written release announcing the news. “This new approach is one of the most important investments we have made since purchasing the team because it allows us to deliver Utah Jazz games to all 3.3 million-plus Utahns.”
Starting with the 2023-24 season, SEG Media will make KJZZ the official “Home of the Utah Jazz,” ensuring that anyone who has access to KJZZ — through basic antenna connection, cable subscription or other satellite providers — will be able to watch Jazz games.
Additionally, SEG Media will distribute Jazz games through a direct-to-consumer, subscription-based streaming platform starting in October 2023.
“If you can’t access the games, I think at this point is probably on you,” Smith said with a laugh on Tuesday morning at Zions Bank Basketball Campus. “It’s something that I hear about every single day, wherever I go. And it’s just like, I know, I know, I know there’s a better experience out there. We know. And so to have this under way, is pretty big. I think it’s exciting.”
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Broadcasters Craig Bolerjack, Thurl Bailey and Holly Rowe will continue to call Jazz games, while Michael Smith and Alema Harrington will host the pregame and postgame shows.
SEG Media plans to produce other Jazz-related content and behind-the-scenes footage throughout the year that will be distributed to KJZZ and KUTV (the Sinclair Broadcast Group CBS affiliate of KJZZ — SBG owns and operates KJZZ).
The length and terms of the deal with KJZZ were not disclosed, but Smith described it as more of a “partnership” than a deal, with optionality and control on the side of the Jazz, which has not been the case with prior deals where broadcasting rights are concerned.
“It’s not a super long-term deal, but with the flexibility...with KJZZ if we’re good partners, we’ll keep going. If we’re not good partners with each other, we won’t,” Smith said. “That’s how it truly should be, as opposed to most of the old model deals where you get to the end and it’s completely lopsided in one way or another.”
Pricing for the Jazz’s subscription-based streaming platform was not announced, but Jazz personnel have described it as being fair and competitive.
Nationally televised games (on ESPN, TNT and ABC) will still be blacked out on local stations.
