There’s not a lot of change in the Jazz’s broadcasting plans for the 2019-20 season. And that’s understandable: Jazz TV ratings increased again in 2018-19 by 35%, up to a 6.6 market share on AT&T SportsNet. They’re now the third-highest TV ratings in the league.
So Craig Bolerjack returns for his 15th year as the television voice of the Utah Jazz, alongside Matt Harpring for the majority of Jazz broadcasts. When Harpring, now a 10-year Jazz TV veteran, doesn’t call a game — his contract allows him to miss a certain number of games per season — Thurl Bailey will act as Bolerjack’s color analyst. Kristen Kenney returns as sideline reporter after replacing Steve Brown three seasons ago.
The one change in the Jazz’s TV plans: Pre-game, halftime, and postgame TV shows will be hosted from a studio between sections 1 and 2, near the main entrance, rather than their past studio in Vivint Arena’s upper level. Those shows will still be hosted by Alema Harrington, with Bailey, Kenney, Ron Boone, and former Clippers color man Mike Smith rotating as analysts depending on their other tasks.
Of the Jazz’s 82 regular season games, 76 will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet, with the other six as national TV exclusives on TNT. More of the Jazz’s preseason games will be broadcast on TV than previously, four of the five scheduled. All but the Jazz’s Oct. 14 contest against Sacramento, a home game, will be televised on AT&T.
The Jazz’s radio plans largely stay constant as well. David Locke, in his 11th season, will call the games on 1280 AM next to Boone. Tony Parks will be the radio sideline reporter, while Jake Scott and former University of Utah forward Britton Johnsen will host the radio pre-game, halftime, and postgame shows. The games will be also broadcast in Spanish on 1600 AM by Nelson Moran, Isidro Lopez, and Francisco Vazquez.
Unfortunately, what hasn’t changed is the Jazz’s streaming setup. In order to stream Jazz games over the internet, people must have subscribed to a cable or satellite TV package that includes AT&T SportsNet. Among major providers in Salt Lake County, only those who subscribe to DirecTV or Centurylink Prism TV can stream through the AT&T SportsNet app. Those on Comcast, Dish, or with Google Fiber TV may be able to stream through those companies’ individual apps, but reports have been mixed whether that works for individual users. People outside of the Jazz’s TV market can stream Jazz games through NBA League Pass.
The Jazz’s TV deal with AT&T SportsNet, signed in 2009, runs through 2021. According to a Bloomberg report, AT&T is considering selling the various RSNs it owns in order to cut debt.
