Why Can’t I Just Watch Sports on Television?
In the ever-evolving landscape of sports broadcasting, fans are facing unprecedented challenges in accessing their favorite teams. The recent game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat, which aired on Prime Video, is a case in point. For fans hoping to catch the Knicks’ next matchup against the Heat on Monday, it’s a reminder of the complexities introduced by the NBA’s new media-rights deal, which now requires subscriptions to multiple streaming services, including MSG+ and Peacock, depending on the game. This fragmentation has left many fans scrambling to piece together a viewing plan, with some estimating the cost of accessing all necessary services could soar to over $1,000 annually. The chaotic situation has led to the emergence of dedicated Reddit communities where fans exchange tips and flowcharts to navigate the streaming maze, underscoring the frustration that has enveloped the sports viewing experience.
This shift towards a more fragmented broadcasting model follows the NBA’s lucrative deal that cut ties with traditional cable networks in favor of streaming platforms, aiming to enhance fan engagement and accessibility. However, the reality has been anything but user-friendly. As sports leagues increasingly adopt similar strategies, fans now find themselves inundated with subscription options across numerous platforms. The NFL, for instance, has games spread across approximately ten different networks, leading to a projected viewing budget of around $630 just to catch in-market and national games. This shift has not only complicated access but also sparked outrage among fans, including NFL legend J.J. Watt, who lamented missing a game due to a broadcasting dispute despite his financial means.
As a Knicks fan, the desire to enjoy the thrill of the game—whether it’s witnessing Jalen Brunson’s clutch moments or the iconic commentary of Walt “Clyde” Frazier—has become overshadowed by the logistical nightmare of securing the right subscriptions. Even the NBA League Pass, which should provide comprehensive access, fails to deliver for local fans due to blackout restrictions. With the Knicks’ recent resurgence in performance, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the stakes are high, and the passion remains strong. Yet, it feels unjust that in order to support a team so close to home, one must navigate a convoluted web of subscriptions and streaming services. The challenge is not only a financial burden but also a logistical one, as many fans are left feeling more like pirates than loyal supporters. As the sports broadcasting landscape continues to shift, the hope remains that leagues will reconsider their approaches to ensure that being a fan doesn’t require a color-coded spreadsheet and a hefty wallet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJDebbKU_s
If you, like me, are a fan of the Knicks, you probably caught last night’s game against the Heat on Prime Video. But if you want to see them play Miami again on Monday, you’ll need the streaming service MSG+ (at least, if you’re living in New York and lack cable). That’ll get you a bunch of games this season, including their December matchup against the Spurs, but you’ll also need Peacock if you intend to watch them play the Pistons in January. Oh, and if you’re keen for some Christmas Day basketball, you’ll have to find a service that gets you ESPN or ABC. This is, to state what every sports fan knows in her heart to be true, unbelievably stupid.
Last summer, the NBA signed a lucrative new media-rights deal, cutting ties with a longtime cable-network partner and adding two streamers: Prime Video and Peacock. The move was ostensibly about expanding the league’s reach and giving fans new options for watching games. Instead, it’s
caused chaos
—and prompted the rise of entire Subreddits devoted to the question:
How do I follow my team?
Fans have been making flow charts and doing frantic back-of-the-napkin math in an effort to figure out just how many streaming services they’ll need.
You need two subscriptions; no, four; no, three. It’ll cost $600—no, wait, more like $1,000.
The only consensus seems to be that this new era is a nightmare. “Welcome to hell sports fans,” one Redditor commented in September.
In many ways, sports are more accessible than ever: They’re on at all hours, shown on countless channels and streaming services, and broken down into bite-size highlights on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube. You can play in fantasy leagues, place bets on a growing number of apps, and listen to a never-ending roster of pundits debate niche stats on their podcasts. But for devoted fans trying to watch their team actually play all season, the landscape has never been trickier to navigate.
In the past few years, as streamers have proliferated, other major leagues have signed deals similar to the NBA’s—and the sports-broadcast sphere has become a fickle, fragmented mess. This season, NFL games are scattered across something like
10 different
TV networks and streaming services, and
The Athletic
puts the “typical viewing budget” for fans to watch in-market and national games at
about $630
. Baseball is
similarly chaotic
.
In one survey
, half of Americans said that the glut of streaming services has made it harder to find what they’re looking for.
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This month, the NFL legend J. J. Watt
delivered a rant on X
when
Monday Night Football
, which he’d planned to watch on YouTube TV, was suddenly unavailable because of a broadcasting-rights dispute with Disney. The retired defensive end ended up
missing
his former team’s big win over Dallas. He’d made $130 million playing football, but still insisted, “I’m not buying another streaming subscription.”
I knew following the Knicks this season was going to be hard, but I was determined to do it anyway. In May, they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter century—a milestone made all the sweeter by the fact that they had to defeat the Boston Celtics, their longtime rivals and the NBA’s reigning champs, to get there. Fans flooded the avenues around Madison Square Garden, and New Yorkers wore orange and blue for days. The Knicks ended up losing to the Pacers in a devastating Game 6, but they have a strong roster and a new head coach, and hopes are high this season.
As a fan, I want to focus on the important things: what outrageous orange ’fit Spike Lee will be wearing courtside, and whether the ever-stoic OG Anunoby will
crack a smile
.
I want to see Jalen Brunson
catch fire in clutch time
; Josh Hart be everything everywhere all at once; and KAT throw down dunks (and cry “
Oh my God
” whenever he takes a hit). Instead, I’m busy trying to figure out where I can watch the game.
In what feels like a cruel joke, the NBA League Pass subscription I got for free with my quarter-season Knicks tickets gives me live access to games that aren’t nationally broadcast except—get this—those featuring the New York Knicks (and the Brooklyn Nets, but whatever). Those are blacked out because of local broadcasting agreements.
A subscription to MSG+ gets me the majority of Knicks games—and is worth the $29.99 a month just for Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s commentary (when he’s at the mic, the Knicks aren’t just playing good basketball; they’re
“swoopin’ and hoopin’”
or “dishin’ and swishin’”). But Peacock and Prime Video have exclusive rights to certain games, too.
At one point, baffled as to whether I needed
another
subscription to get games broadcast on ESPN or ABC, I, too, headed to Reddit. Some Redditors console others or offer advice on the cheapest legal route to fandom. More often, they post pictures of ships and suggest that you “sail the seven seas, matey!” (i.e., just pirate games). But even that requires a certain amount of savvy, as anti-piracy organizations and law enforcement play whack-a-mole with illegal streamers. After Streameast, the world’s largest illegal sports-streaming platform,
was shut down in September
, fans complained that they had to spend games toggling between grainy, glitchy bootlegs.
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Some people suggest switching allegiance—an out-of-region team can, perversely, be easier to watch—or moving abroad. My brother, a die-hard Rockets fan (don’t ask), lives in Sydney, Australia, and can catch every NBA game for less than $200 on League Pass. And here I am, boxed out of a Knicks stream when I live within cheering distance of the Garden. It stings, but I can’t quit the Knicks. I was with them while they wandered the playoff desert, and I’m not leaving them now. Imagine living in the same city as an iconic franchise with a title-contending team led by an all-star point guard with unrivaled grit and rooting for … Houston. I just can’t.
As a result of all this, I could now star in a Rocket Money commercial, in solidarity with the 21 percent of American streaming users
who invest in six or more
services. Will the leagues take pity on us? It shouldn’t take a handful of streaming services, many hundreds of dollars, and a color-coded spreadsheet to be a fan.
