Trail Blazers fans no longer have to live in a Comcast-accessible area to watch their team.
Beginning Sunday, fans who live where Comcast SportsNet is unavailable within the NBA-approved Trail Blazers territory can stream games live on trailblazers.com.
However, Thursday’s announcement does not impact subscribers of DirecTV or Dish Network where Comcast cable is also available. Those subscribers will not be able to stream the Blazers’ games online.
“Our goal all along has been to provide access to Trail Blazers games for all of our fans,” said Trail Blazers president Larry Miller. “Today’s announcement is another important step toward achieving that goal while we continue to work with CSN to achieve our mutual goal of expanding its distribution base.”
In Clark County, it’s a small step as only a small percentage of residents living in the rural areas of the county will be impacted by Thursday’s decision.
For those fans who live where Comcast is not available, six locally broadcasted games between Sunday and Jan. 11 will be available on a free trial basis.
Starting Jan. 13 at San Antonio, fans can choose between purchasing games one at a time for $2.99 each, or select the remaining 53 games for $69.99.
The Blazers are in the fifth year of a 10-year contract with Comcast SportsNet to broadcast their games. It has been an area of frustration for the Blazers that CSN has not be able to reach an agreement with DirecTV or Dish Network to broadcast the channel on the satellite providers.
“Through our work with both the NBA and CSN, there are now two viewing options for CSN games that will be available to our fan base: television on CSN and live streaming in certain areas outside of CSN’s coverage area,” Miller said. “We appreciate the patience our fans have shown with us in our efforts to provide greater accessibility.”
To find out which option is available in their area, fans need to visit trailblazers.com and enter their zip code. Fans also can read an FAQ, including system requirements, and sign-up for the streaming service by visiting trailblazers.com.
Additionally, the team will continue to stream every game broadcasted on KGW.
