Hornets make major shift to free over-the-air broadcasts with new Cox Media Group partnership

The Charlotte Hornets are making a major change to how fans watch the team, moving their local television broadcasts to Cox Media Group’s WSOC Channel 9 and TV64 for the 2026-27 season.

The new one-year partnership will make every Hornets game that is not subject to a national broadcast available over the air across the team’s local television market, representing a significant change from the RSN-driven model that has dominated local sports broadcasting in recent years.

Hornets chief business and revenue officer Mike Behan described the agreement as a “massive step” in providing fans with greater access to the team. Although the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, when asked about the option of joining DAZN similar to other teams, Behan reinforced that Hornets ownership was fan first. My interpretation of that response was if prioritizing revenue was the priority, DAZN may have been a better option.

“We evaluated lots of different options,” Behan said during a virtual press conference Wednesday. “More people watching games is better for our organization.”

The decision follows the success of the Hornets’ experiments with simulcasting games last season, which helped demonstrate the potential of making games available through traditional broadcast television alongside their existing distribution.

Behan said Cox was ultimately viewed as the “best option” for the organization because of its reach throughout the Carolinas.

“Over the air [provides] significant additional visibility for our fans,” Behan said. “We’re excited about the consistency of every non-nationally televised game being on Cox Media.”

For fans in Charlotte, the most significant change is simple: they will be able to watch the majority of Hornets games without needing a paid cable or RSN subscription. The wider Carolinas may also have the same level of access depending on ongoing talks with TV affiliates throughout the Carolinas.

That represents a considerable departure from the experience many Charlotte fans have had in recent years, when accessing Hornets games could require subscribing to a particular television provider or navigating RSN availability and blackout restrictions.

Behan said the decision reflects a recognition that fans are increasingly looking for different ways to consume sports. The Hornets are also looking to continue to innovate and improve the broadcast.

“We’re not an organisation that likes to sit on our hands,” he said, adding that the Hornets are continuing to “scour the landscape” for best practices and other opportunities to improve the broadcast.

Direct-to-consumer streaming option still coming

The Hornets are not, however, abandoning streaming.

Behan confirmed that the team is actively working on a direct-to-consumer product that would allow fans to subscribe to Hornets games directly.

“We will have a direct-to-consumer option available,” Behan said. “We’re working on that in real time.”

The DTC product is expected to operate as a subscription service and will also be available throughout the Carolinas.

That means the Hornets’ media strategy for next season will effectively offer fans multiple ways to access games: free over-the-air television through Cox, national broadcasts where applicable, and eventually a paid direct-to-consumer streaming option.

The team is also working to extend over-the-air coverage beyond its primary market.

“We’re working with outer market affiliates to widen access to people outside the Carolinas,” Behan said. “We’re talking to other stations throughout the Carolinas, getting over-the-air carry.”

More information on those arrangements is expected in the coming weeks.

More than just game broadcasts

The partnership with Cox will also extend beyond the Hornets’ regular-season games.

Cox Media Group vice president and general manager Cedric Jones said the company is excited about providing additional Hornets programming throughout the season.

That could include coverage around the schedule release, extended draft coverage and other programming opportunities during the season.

“We’re going to be able to extend that,” Jones said. “More free games over the air is exciting for us.”

The two sides are also exploring additional programming around major moments on the Hornets calendar.

Eric Collins and Dell Curry remain a priority

One of the biggest remaining questions surrounding the new television arrangement is the future of the Hornets’ familiar broadcast team.

Behan acknowledged that the organization understands the importance of play-by-play announcer Eric Collins and analyst Dell Curry to its fans.

“We understand the importance of Eric and Dell,” Behan said. “More to come on that. We’re working on it in real time.”

No final announcement was made regarding the broadcast team during Wednesday’s press conference.

A broader fan-first strategy

Behan repeatedly framed the new television agreement as part of a broader effort by the Hornets’ ownership group to make the organization more accessible to fans.

He pointed to new seats, improved concessions and making Hornets merchandise more readily available in local stores as other examples of the franchise attempting to improve the overall fan experience.

He also emphasized that the organization, under Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, sees itself as a “fan first” organization.

The television strategy is therefore about more than simply finding a new broadcast partner.

The Hornets believe that lowering the barriers to watching games will ultimately benefit the franchise itself.

“More eyes on the product is the best thing for the franchise,” Behan said.

For a fanbase that has spent years dealing with increasingly complicated and expensive ways of watching its team, the immediate change is perhaps the simplest one: Hornets basketball is coming back to free over-the-air television.