The Diamond Sports Group , owner of 18 regional Bally Sports regional sports networks may have received a lifeline from Amazon last week, but that doesn't mean the broadcast and streaming future for the Cavs is any clearer.
Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cleveland Cavs , told an audience at the Hall of Fame Luncheon in Canton on Monday that his priority is finding a permanent broadcast home for the team and solving its viewership reach, according to a report from Crain's Cleveland Business.
Barlage said that the team currently only reaches one in three people in the team's designated television market.
"That's not me calling out Bally's or Diamond. That's me saying as an overall group, we've got to put the media puzzle pieces together to be more recognizable and more accessible to fans because right now, we're not doing that. We're working on it," he said.
More: Amazon to carry several pro sports teams' games after investment in Diamond Sports
The puzzle isn't easy to assemble, however.
While he called the Diamond move as positive step forward, the reality is the regional sports networks do not have the reach they once did when cable television was the norm not the exception in American households.
In 2017, according to Leichtman Research, 73% of households had cable television, by the end of 2023 that decreased to 46%. That decrease is expected to continue in 2024.
And streaming, at least for the Bally regional sports networks, hasn't been lucrative as the Bally Sports+ app had just 203,000, according to reports.
Barlage said the Cavs and other NBA teams need to find a way to reach as many fans as possible.
"Ultimately, we want to build something over a period of time where we're not worried about the cord being pulled out tomorrow or the next day," he said.
It could very well be that Diamond Sports Group has found a way forward and will continue to air Cavs games, but considering cord cutting trends, continuing to pay the reported $42 million per season in rights fees doesn't seem practical.
Some form of hybrid solution could come to fruition. After losing access to regional sports networks in their respective markets, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz turned to over-the-air television to broadcast games .
Could that be in the Cavs future?
Barlage said meetings are held regularly to discuss a number of scenarios. Fans will have to keep waiting.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs CEO says team working to solve Bally Sports broadcast puzzle
