Thunder Television Future Secure This Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen their summer time worry be alleviated by Adam Silver in his latest press conference.

Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver arrives prior to the WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This week, Adam Silver held his annual press conference following the Board of Governors Meeting, where the commissioner dished on all things NBA, including one of the pressing issues surrounding the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For the last year, the OKC Thunder have been in a limbo stage with their Regional Sports Network - Diamond Sports, who own Bally Sports, filed for bankruptcy and left a cloud of uncertainty in their path.

After teasing a move to over-the-air television broadcasting a handful of games last spring for free on local KSBI, the Thunder are back with Bally Sports for another year - which Silver admits is for a "significantly lower fee" to ensure the company will broadcast games through this season no matter what happens with their bankruptcy status.

While this still leaves the long-term future up in the air, short term, there is no longer a worry that the location of games could change mid-season. However, the NBA still believes the future of local broadcasts is in a good spot despite the sinking ship some teams sit on.

“On the other hand, prior to us completing our national deals, I think 18 of our RSNs were either defunct or in bankruptcy,” Silver said. “So if you look back, sort of just graph it over the last few years in terms of both decline in number of homes covered by those RSNs and decline in revenue, that is the reality in that aspect of our business, and it’s something we’re paying a lot of attention to.”

“I think we will emerge in a very good place,” Silver said. “I think we have a bit of a rocky transition.”

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