DIRECTV has signed a multi-year carriage deal with DAZN that brings locally televised games from five NBA teams to its satellite, streaming and U-verse subscribers. The agreement reflects a broader shift in how professional sports leagues distribute local game coverage as traditional regional sports networks lose ground to streaming-first partners.
What the agreement covers
The deal includes local broadcasts for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs. Coverage is restricted to each team's designated home television territory, a standard condition in regional sports rights deals meant to protect local broadcast exclusivity and comply with league distribution rules.
Access requires DIRECTV's Choice package or higher, or the U200 tier or above for U-verse customers. Each team's channel carries not just live games but pregame and postgame shows, mirroring the format long used by regional sports networks. Channel assignments vary by market - for example, Cavaliers games sit on DIRECTV Channel 660, while Spurs broadcasts appear on Channel 680, with corresponding U-verse channel numbers for each team except the Timberwolves, whose territory falls outside U-verse's footprint.
How the streaming access will work
DIRECTV said eligible subscribers will soon be able to stream these same games through DAZN's platform using their existing DIRECTV login credentials, at no extra cost. This type of credential-based authentication - commonly called TV Everywhere - lets pay-TV subscribers verify their existing subscription to unlock a programmer's app or website without a separate sign-up or payment. DIRECTV indicated the feature is still weeks away from launch, so subscribers should not expect immediate streaming access at signing.
The arrangement also extends to DIRECTV for Business, meaning commercial venues such as sports bars, restaurants and gyms can display the games, provided they fall within the applicable team's authorized territory and carry the correct commercial account tier.
Context: a changing rights landscape
DAZN has been building a portfolio of local NBA media rights, positioning itself as an intermediary that can supply game feeds both through its own direct-to-consumer app and through deals with pay-TV distributors like DIRECTV. This dual approach lets DAZN monetize the same underlying rights across multiple platforms rather than relying on a single network affiliation.
DIRECTV says it now holds local or regional distribution rights covering 76 of the 81 U.S.-based franchises across the NBA, NHL and MLB. That figure illustrates how quickly satellite and streaming providers have moved to fill gaps left as regional sports networks such as Bally Sports affiliates have scaled back or restructured under financial pressure.
Practical considerations for viewers
- Availability depends strictly on residing within a team's defined home territory - out-of-market fans will not gain access through this deal.
- Subscribers need to confirm they carry the required package tier, since lower-tier plans will not include these channels.
- The promised DAZN login-based streaming feature was not yet active at the time of the announcement, so interested customers should watch for an official rollout notice rather than assuming immediate availability.