Boston, MA - December 14: Boston Celtics SF Jayson Tatum and Cleveland Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell shakes hands after the game. The Celtics beat the Cavaliers, 116-107. Three of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ remaining regular season games have had their TV homes changed.
Per a note from the NBA sent out late Wednesday afternoon, three Cavs games (March at home vs. the Boston Celtics; March 8 at home vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves; and March 10 vs. Brooklyn Nets) have had their TV homes changed. In the case of the Celtics and Wolves matchups, the start times have also changed.
The game against the Celtics will now air on TNT and tipoff at 7:30 p.m. local time, while the Wolves game will now air on ESPN and tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
The Celtics game was previously slated to air on WUAB, a local free channel, as part of efforts to make some Cavs games down the stretch run available to a wider group of fans. The Wolves game will still air on WUAB.
“We are constantly evaluating every available opportunity to create the greatest experience for all fans of Cavaliers Basketball. Given the current, dynamic media landscape, we have prioritized how we can expand our audience in every way possible,” said Nic Barlage, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO, when the WUAB deal was announced. “This partnership with Gray allows us to test out a new model of distribution that has the potential to reach more of our fans across our region.”
The game against the Nets, meanwhile, was set to air on ESPN, but will now air on Bally Sports.
The win here for the Cavs is more national exposure for two of their remaining games against high-quality opponents. Between March 3 against the New York Knicks on ESPN, the Celtics game on March 5 and the Wolves game on March 8, Cleveland will have three of four games on national TV. Each of those games is against an elite team too — the Knicks are just behind the Cavs and beat Cleveland in the playoffs last year; the Celtics are the class of the East; and the Wolves could very well finish first in the Western Conference.
These new national TV dates also come as the Cavaliers are surging and playing their best basketball of the season. Cleveland’s play, it seems, has earned them a bigger spotlight.
