Phoenix Suns and Mercury extend Gray Media deal through 2027–28

Two years aft walking distant from a failing determination sports network, the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury accidental the experimentation has paid for itself. The teams signed a two-year hold with Gray Media to aerial games escaped implicit the aerial crossed Arizona done the 2027–28 season. Sources told ESPN the woody tops $30 cardinal per year, efficaciously restoring gross mislaid erstwhile they near bankrupt Diamond Sports successful 2023. Ratings powered the move: Suns section viewership much than doubled, portion Mercury audiences surged 425% amid broader gains for the WNBA.

“It’s been a win-win,” proprietor Mat Ishbia said. “It was bash close by the fans and get the games much accessible. And erstwhile you turn your fanbase, bully things happen.”

From antennas to an app—and copycats

Phoenix settled a Diamond Sports lawsuit, past produced its ain broadcasts, handed retired escaped antennas, and launched its streaming service, Suns+. If you unrecorded successful Phoenix, you tin ticker without a cablegram bundle. Other clubs facing RSN occupation adopted akin plans, specified arsenic the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, and New Orleans Pelicans.

The displacement comes arsenic cord cutting squeezes section TV money. A caller 11-year, $77 cardinal nationalist media woody begins this play and volition nonstop astir $145 cardinal per team. However, reduced section gross led the league to trim earlier salary-cap projections. Some franchises consciousness the pinch: the New York Knicks reworked their section bundle for 2025–26, cutting it by $41 cardinal to astir $107 million.

Ishbia says helium is successful regular interaction with owners assessing their options and hopes Phoenix’s results hold. Over the adjacent 2 years, 18 squad RSN agreements expire, and the league is exploring a premix of escaped broadcast and streaming paths. “Everyone wanted to hold and see, it’s a large happening to instrumentality little [local television] wealth oregon adjacent nary wealth and spot it,” Ishbia said. “Hopefully it tin beryllium a blueprint for different NBA teams. You bash close by the lawsuit and bully things thin to happen.”