It’s not yet the news Jazz fans have been waiting for, but to a small number of people, a new change will matter a lot.
Comcast cable subscribers whose traditional TV packages carry AT&T SportsNet can now stream Jazz games on AT&T SportsNet’s app. For the last four years, Comcast subscribers were locked out of streaming Jazz games using the app because of a dispute between Comcast and AT&T. Comcast did “not want AT&T to have access to information about its subscribers,” according to the Houston Chronicle. That dispute has now apparently ended.
Functionally, the change will allow Comcast subscribers to watch Jazz games outside of their homes on their phones, tablets, or computers. The app doesn’t support stream sharing via AirPlay or Chromecast to larger screens. DirecTV users and other small TV outlets have generally been able to use AT&T SportsNet’s app, which has received unfavorable reviews so far.
In all, Utahns who want to watch Jazz games have the following options:
• Subscribe to Comcast, DirecTV, or another regional traditional cable/satellite service — though not Dish, which has pulled AT&T SportsNet and all other regional sports networks off their platform.
• Subscribe to DirecTV Stream’s Choice package, which costs $99 per month, or a higher tier of that service.
• Subscribe to FuboTV. Their cheapest package is $75/mo, but fans will also have to pay a monthly regional sports fee of $10.99.
The Jazz say they are still working on “next steps” for their new broadcast deal for the 2023-24 season and beyond for the team. It’s a tricky landscape to negotiate, with parent owners of regional sports networks seeing businesses scuffle.
