Jazz President: TV And Streaming Broadcast Is Top Priority

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – As excitement builds for the beginning of the Utah Jazz season, one major issue stands between fans and the team — it’s prohibitively difficult and expensive to find the team’s television and streaming broadcasts.

AT&T Sports Net will carry the majority of the Jazz games this year, 77 in total, with the rest of the regular season games available on national TV. However, the network already failed to broadcast the team’s preseason opener, and just weeks ago, Dish Network announced it was no longer going to carry AT&T Sports Net on its network.

That’s left fans with fewer mainstream broadcast or streaming options to find the games, a fix that Jazz management says is a top priority.

The @utahjazz released their television and radio broadcast schedule, including tonight's preseason opener available on @kslnewsradio. #TakeNote https://t.co/PmfXtOz0xT

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 4, 2021

In an appearance with Hans Olsen and Scott Garrard on The Zone Sports Network Friday, team president Jim Olson said the team is working daily to find a solution.

“This is our number one priority,” Olson said. “There is nothing more important to us than figuring out our broadcast situation.”

After broadcasting the games for free locally on KJZZ, the Jazz agreed to move the team’s broadcasts to AT&T Sports Net in 2009 long before widespread streaming was considered a reliable option to view games.

“Technology changes and options change,” Olson said of the Jazz decade-old deal, “the whole landscape of broadcasts has changed since that deal was signed.”

However, with fans increasingly wanting stand-alone streaming options, the Jazz are looking for solutions to the problem.

The Utah Jazz are exploring all options to deliver Jazz TV broadcasts to fans https://t.co/leFDCVPXYk

— The Zone Sports Network (@ZoneSportsNet) October 8, 2021

As it stands, fans can subscribe to DirecTV Stream to stream the team’s games but it comes with a hefty price tag of $85 per month.

But Olson says he and new Jazz owner Ryan Smith are working to find a fix for the team’s fans.

“Our owner is a tech guy, and he and I talk every single day about where we’re going to find the right solution for streaming, and how we’re going to make this option a better option for our fans.”

For now, though, significant hurdles remain before a more versatile streaming solution can be found, and it’s not an internal problem with the Jazz organization.

“What role does the NBA play in this? What role do the [regional sports networks] play in this? What role do the teams play in this? And what role do the streaming partners play in this? At the end of the day, we’re trying to we’re getting all the parties together and to talk through it,” Olson said.

While fans may be left with limited options to watch the Jazz this season, Olson promised a fix is on the way.

“There will be a great solution and I guarantee it, we’re going to be one of the leaders in that when those opportunities are made available.”

Hans And Scotty can be heard midways Monday-Friday on The Zone 97.5 FM and 1280 AM.