Giving away TV antennas might appear to be a strange venture in the year 2023. But the Suns are doing it to help fans watch their games on local television.
In April, the Suns and Mercury announced that they were leaving Bally Sports Arizona and moving their game broadcasts from cable to local, over-the-air TV stations owned by Gray Television. No cable, satellite, or streaming service is needed.
But a TV antenna is necessary to receive those over-the-air broadcasts on local channels 3TV and CBS5. So the Suns, Arizona’s Family Sports network, and electronics manufacturer Channel Master are providing free antennas to any fans who need them while supplies last. Fans can sign up for the antennas through Suns.com or the Channel Master website.
“This deal gives more than 2.8 million homes across Arizona access to Suns and Mercury games for free,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said when the deal with Gray was formally announced.
“I am proud that we are at the forefront of this shift to make the game more accessible, which not only serves our fan base but also helps to build future NBA and WNBA fans,” Ishbia added.
Phoenix-area fans will be able to watch 70 non-national, regular-season Suns telecasts and five preseason games exclusively on Arizona’s Family.