Nexstar Media Group said its Los Angeles station, KTLA, will air more Los Angeles Clippers NBA games this season, extending an agreement reached last year.
KTLA will televise 15 games this season, including four preseason games.
Coverage starts September 14 with the premiere of Clippers’ Clipboard, a miniseries that will air during the KTLA morning newscast.
Last season, the bulk of Clippers games appeared on Bally Sports in Southern California, part of Diamond Sports, which filed for bankruptcy court protection earlier this year.
KTLA was early in what became of trend of professional sports games returning to broadcast after being nearly exclusively on cable for more than a decade.
Broadcasters including E.W. Scripps, Gray Television and Sinclair Broadcast Group, as well as Nexstar, are moving aggressively to make deals with teams and leagues as regional sports networks break down under the weight of cord-cutting and increased costs.
“Once again, from the start of Clippers training camp to home games in a new arena, ‘LA’s Very Own’ KTLA 5 will be there every exciting step of the way,” KTLA VP and general manager Janene Drafs said.
“Clippers fans across Southern California can count on KTLA for exciting pre- and postgame shows, insightful analysis, up-to-the-moment Clippers news, special features on the players and coaches, and one-of-a-kind related programming,“ Drafs said. “Our team at KTLA is excited to continue our partnership with the Clippers through the 2024-2025 basketball season.”
Broadcasters make the case that they can reach more fans than cable outlets and that can generate more ticket sales and other revenues for teams.
“Making live Clippers games available to all Southern California viewers is a priority for the Clippers, especially as we prepare to move into our new home, Intuit Dome, for the 2024-25 season,” Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker said. ”KTLA proved last year that not only are they an incredible broadcast partner, but one who helps us reach millions of fans through live games, their No. 1 local newscast, and special Clippers programming.”
Clippers games this season will be called by Brian Sieman, Jim Jackson, and Mike Fratello, with KTLA sports reporter David Pingalore returning as the sideline reporter for games airing on the station.
