Home / Local News Local News Detroit Pistons Sign Broadcast Deal With Scripps Sports for Free Local Television Access The Detroit Pistons struck a new local television media rights agreement with Scripps Sports that kicks off with the 2026-27 NBA season. Games return to free, over-the-air television for Michigan… Published May 15, 2026 2:01 PM EDT (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Share this story The Detroit Pistons struck a new local television media rights agreement with Scripps Sports that kicks off with the 2026-27 NBA season. Games return to free, over-the-air television for Michigan fans. It's been two decades since 2005. WMYD TV20 Detroit becomes the official local broadcast home. The station will produce and air all preseason and regular-season games available locally. Fans can watch matches at no cost through over-the-air television and via participating cable and satellite providers. "This move is for our fans. They have been huge all season and throughout this playoff run. Their energy and support have lifted our team and helped fuel our resurgence," said owner Tom Gores in a statement, according to Heavy . "It's a new era of Pistons basketball and we want to make sure that more people in Detroit and throughout Michigan can be part of the journey." The partnership tears down barriers by eliminating the need for a paid television subscription to watch locally televised games. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed per team policy. Scripps Sports will combine WXYZ's news operation with TV20 Detroit's broadcast platform to deliver coverage across the market. The company operates both TV20 Detroit and WXYZ, the ABC affiliate in the area. "Over-the-air broadcasting has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to connect sports teams with their fans," said Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports, in a statement. "Scripps Sports is proud to partner with the Pistons to deliver their games to more fans than ever before." The franchise was one of 13 NBA teams hunting for a new home after Main Street Sports began shutting down. Detroit is the first NBA franchise to partner with Scripps, which has the rights to five NHL teams, a WNBA franchise, and a National Women's Soccer League squad. The partnership will produce game-day coverage. This includes pregame, in-game, and postgame programming. The agreement also includes a weekly, half-hour show with original team-focused content integrated across broadcasts and programming. Scripps Sports plans to engage its stations across Michigan in the coming months to create a broad network of exposure throughout the state. The team and broadcast partner plan to work together on a direct-to-consumer streaming application, with details to be announced later. The franchise finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and is playing a conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Share this story Detroit Pistons Related Stories Local News Detroit Month of Design Celebrates 16th Year with Free Community Events and Workshops Kristina Hall Local News BurgerFi Expands to Ypsilanti: New Location Opening This Fall Elena Cruz Local News Detroit’s Cinema Revival: Independent Theaters Thrive Amid Cultural Renaissance Kristina Hall Related Stories Local News Detroit Month of Design Celebrates 16th Year with Free Community Events and Workshops Kristina Hall Local News BurgerFi Expands to Ypsilanti: New Location Opening This Fall Elena Cruz Local News Detroit’s Cinema Revival: Independent Theaters Thrive Amid Cultural Renaissance Kristina Hall Trending Stories More from DetroitNewsroom.com
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: wcsx.com