OKC Thunder, Griffin Media agree to broadcast remaining 2023-24 Friday games locally

Thunder basketball is coming to local television airwaves. 

The Thunder and Griffin Media on Tuesday announced a TV partnership in which the Thunder’s eight remaining Friday night games will be broadcast free, over the air on KSBI, Channel 52 in Oklahoma City and News On 6 Now, Channel 6.3 in Tulsa. 

The NBA and Diamond Sports Group, which operates Bally Sports, reached an agreement to allow teams whose games are broadcast on Bally to air up to 10 games over local airwaves through the rest of the 2023-24 season. 

The games on KSBI, owned by Oklahoma-based Griffin Media, which also owns News 9, are expected to reach a larger swath of Thunder fans who didn’t have access to Bally Sports through their television package. Others may have been turned off by Bally’s array of technical issues, specifically with its app. 

As Diamond Sports Group goes through bankruptcy, Thunder fans will get a preview of how games might be broadcast in a post-Bally world. To be clear, though, the agreement between the Thunder and Griffin Media is only for the rest of this season. 

“Accessing these games will require our fans to adapt and make some changes in their viewing habits on those Friday nights,” Thunder vice president of broadcasting Dan Mahoney said in a statement. “Besides being available by using an antenna to access the local stations, the Friday night games through April 12 will be on cable and satellite channels that are different from the Bally Sports broadcasts. We encourage fans to pay close attention to Thunder and Griffin social media and digital platforms for all channel and tune-in information.”

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The games will be carried free, over the air with the use of an HD antenna, as well as on cable providers like COX (Channel 7 in Oklahoma City and Channel 53 in Tulsa), DirecTV and Dish. Thunder games will also air on partner stations in the region — including ones in Lawton/Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita, Kansas, and Joplin, Missouri/Pittsburg, Kansas. 

HD antennas, which run about $20, will be necessary to watch the Thunder’s Friday night games over the air. In the news release, the Thunder estimated that the game broadcasts will be available for approximately 2 million homes in the region. 

“For 70 years, the Griffin family has been a pioneering force in our community and the television industry, and we are particularly proud to partner with a locally-owned broadcaster that brings such a deep connection and commitment to all Oklahomans,” Thunder chairman Clay Bennett said in a statement. “The Thunder is grateful for the loyal support we receive from our fans across Oklahoma and the region. We look forward to providing them this additional access to our game broadcasts.” 

KSBI, under different ownership, also broadcast 24 games in the Thunder’s inaugural 2008-09 season. 

The Thunder’s next Friday night game, the first that will air locally, is Friday, Jan. 26 at New Orleans. The remaining seven Friday games to air locally: Feb. 2 vs. Hornets, Feb. 23 vs. Wizards, March 8 vs. Heat, March 22 at Raptors, March 29 vs. Suns, April 5 at Pacers and April 12 vs. Bucks. 

Those eight games will not be available on Bally Sports Oklahoma or Bally Sports+, but the Thunder’s other remaining games, except the ones to exclusively air on national television, will still air on Bally Sports Oklahoma. 

The Thunder’s on-air crew of Chris Fisher, Michael Cage, Paris Lawson and Nick Gallo will broadcast the locally-aired games just as they broadcast games on Bally Sports Oklahoma. The on-air talent are Thunder employees, as are the director and producer of the broadcasts. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity from the NBA and Bally Sports that allows us to increase our fans’ ability to watch Friday games free and over the air this season,” Mahoney said in a statement. “How and where games are shown next season and beyond remains uncertain, but for now we are pleased to have this chance to expand our reach.”

OKC Thunder Friday Night games

Jan. 26: at New Orleans Pelicans, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2: vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.

Feb 23: vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m.

March 8: vs. Miami Heat, 7 p.m. 

March 22: at Toronto Raptors, 6 p.m. 

March 29: vs. Phoenix Suns, 7 p.m.

April 5: at Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. 

April 12: vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7 p.m.

How to watch OKC Thunder Friday night games

KSBI-Ch. 52 Oklahoma City (Griffin Media)

COX Ch. 7

DirecTV Ch. 52 

DISH Network Ch. 52

Other cable outlets: check local guide for KSBI-52

News On 6 NOW Ch 6.3 Tulsa (Griffin Media)

COX Ch. 53

Other cable outlets: check local guide for News on 6 Now channel

KSWO-ME TV Ch. 7.3 Lawton/Wichita Falls (Gray Television)

CableOne Ch. 29 

Fidelity Ch. 5

Spectrum (TX) Ch. 1240 

KSCW-CW Ch 33.1 Wichita, KS (Gray Television)

COX Ch. 5

DirecTV Ch. 33

KOAM stations Joplin, MO/Pittsburg, KS (Morgan Murphy Media)

CBS KOAM Ch. 7 

FOX KFJX Ch. 14

CW 14.2 

OKC Thunder national TV games

Jan. 16, at Clippers, 9 p.m.: TNT 

Jan. 24, at Spurs, 8:30 p.m.: ESPN 

Feb. 13, at Magic, 6:30 p.m.: TNT 

Feb. 27, vs. Rockets, 9 p.m.: TNT 

March 3, at Suns, 8:30 p.m.: ESPN 

March 14, vs. Mavericks, 9 p.m.: TNT