Rock Entertainment Group and Gray Media are joining forces to launch the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, a new over-the-air broadcast venture to make its debut this August. The network will begin airing in Cleveland and Cincinnati on Gray’s television channels this August. Moreover, the platform will implement over-the-air, multichannel video programming video distributors (MVPDs) and streaming components as it grows.
Rock Entertainment Group is the holding company for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA and other sports and entertainment properties owned by Dan Gilbert. The new regional sports network will be the home of the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League, the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League and St. Edward High School varsity sports.
Additionally, Rock Entertainment Sports Network will air live broadcasts of additional college and high school sporting events, along with other professional teams. Consumers will be able to watch the network on channel 22.1 through free over-the-air broadcasts. The intent is to have the entity be available through major cable, satellite and virtual pay television platforms throughout Ohio in the future as well.
“Our fans are the lifeblood of Rock Entertainment Group,” Nic Barlage, chief executive officer of Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, said in a statement. “We are constantly looking for ways to evolve the opportunities our fans have to engage with all sports across our region and state. From our dynamic college and professional teams to our semiprofessional and high school sports, passion, pride and our commitment to delivering world class experiences via these sports is deeply ingrained in our culture. The establishment of Rock Entertainment Sports Network will offer fans in Ohio unparalleled access to all levels of competitive sports and provide our diverse array of sports teams an unprecedented platform to connect with fans of all interests.”
While the venture will include a variety of sports programming, it will not contain Cavaliers live game broadcasts. Bally Sports Ohio has been the broadcast home of the team’s games since the 2021-22 season. As Diamond Sports Group tries to reach a deal to continue broadcasting NBA games as it seeks to emerge from Ch. 11 bankruptcy through a restructuring support agreement, the future of regional sports networks remains somewhat ambiguous.
The team’s deal with Diamond Sports Group runs through the 2024-25 season, while the Cleveland Guardians contract with the entity ends after the 2024 season. The Cavaliers and Gray Television agreed to a deal last February to provide over-the-air distribution for five 2023-24 regular-season Cavaliers games, available to watch on WUAB Channel 43 in northeast Ohio and select markets across the state.
“Gray is thrilled to partner with Rock Entertainment Group to bring live sports free over-the-air to viewers across Ohio,” Matt Moran, senior managing vice president for Gray Television, said in a statement. “This joint venture is a game changer for Ohio sports fans and will usher in a new era of free televised live sports in Ohio.”
The partnership will cultivate free, 24/7 access of local Ohio sports and entertainment programming to those within the state. Both companies will use the network to air sports programming across the state and grant viewers a new medium to stay engaged with local teams and athletes. Upon airing games in Cleveland and Cincinnati, the network plans to bolster its reach within additional markets in the months thereafter.
“We are looking forward to working with Rock Entertainment Group to bring free, over-the-air sports to Ohio’s great fans,” Sandy Breland, chief operating officer of Gray Media, said in a statement. “Our strong Ohio television stations and corporate teams are ready to bring this new sports television model to Ohio.”
