Raptors fans in Canada are about to feel the same pain that their NHL-supporter brethren have been feeling lately.
For the first time in the team’s history, there will be a pair of Raptors games that will not be available to be watched on Canadian TV.
According to a report, two Toronto’s games this season will be exclusively broadcast on the Amazon Prime streaming service — without any type of simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet or TSN networks.
While the NBA and Amazon have been working together for years, it hadn’t previously affected fans in Canada.
However, this season marked the end of a clause in their contract that allowed Sportsnet and TSN to simulcast the games on Prime.
Which Raptors games will be Amazon Prime?
While the first game that fans lacking an Amazon Prime subscription will miss out on isn’t necessarily a big-ticket matchup, the second one should prompt some outrage.
The first game is the Nov. 20 contest between the Raptors and Pistons in Detroit.
The second comes on Jan. 7, a home date between the Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves which happens to be one of the three games that the team is honouring Kyle Lowry — the Greatest Raptor Of All-Time.
The T-Wolves game will be the second game of the Raptors’ three games in which the team will pay tribute to the GROAT, with his official No. 7 jersey retirement ceremony coming on Jan. 10.
In a bit of synergy, Lowry joined Amazon’s NBA on Prime broadcasts as an analyst this season.
Why does this hurt fans so much?
The Raptors are just the latest of Toronto’s biggest sports teams to have games broadcast exclusively on streaming platforms.
Blue Jays fans have seen several games poached from Sportsnet as a result of MLB’s exclusive deal with Apple TV+ for Friday Night Baseball.
And this season, NHL fans across Canada have started to feel the pain of Rogers’ new deal with the league that has shutout many TV viewers.
As part of the 12-year, $11 billion contract with the NHL, Rogers has begun putting weekly Monday night matchups featuring Canadian teams on Sportsnet+, a streaming service which requires an additional subscription.
Amazon Prime also has some NHL TV rights, broadcasting weekly games on Wednesday nights.