Good and bad news for cord-cutting Pistons fans

You can’t get fans of the Detroit Pistons to agree on much, from who should be starting, which players are building blocks and who should be traded away. 

But one area of common complaint over the years has been the difficulty of actually watching Pistons games, especially if you live in the Detroit area and don’t want to pay for cable TV. 

Most younger fans want nothing to do with cable television, the Bally streaming app is a piece of junk that barely works and NBA League Pass is blacked out if you live in the Detroit region. 

This is why so many young fans have turned to illegal streams over the years, as it beats paying for an outdated service (cable) or one that literally won’t work for you. The NBA has tried to address the illegal streaming issue but seemed to miss the point that they are the biggest reason people do it by not offering viable and affordable options.

There is some news on this front, as it was announced that Amazon is nearing an agreement to stream NBA games starting next season, which is both good and bad news. 

Detroit Pistons fans will no longer need cable  

Contract negotiations between the NBA and Amazon are reportedly in their late stages and will include 12 NBA franchises, including the Detroit Pistons. 

This would mean fans can watch games without cable, the dreaded Bally app or NBA League Pass, which is good news for cord cutters who do all of their viewing online. 

According to the NY Post: 

“Under the deal, Amazon would broadcast all NBA games that are not nationally televised for the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs.” 

Since the Pistons only have four nationally televised games next season (fewest in the NBA), most of their games will be available on Amazon streaming. That’s the good news. 

The cost of Amazon NBA may turn many fans off 

The bad news is that the streaming service is set to cost around $20 per month, which is a steep price just to watch the Pistons lose. 

Consumers are increasingly wary of adding more subscriptions to their bank statements, as many fans are already paying for other services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney and Apple TV among others. 

By the time you have a couple of those and then add another $20 NBA package to the mix, you may as well just pay for cable. 

In the end, this likely isn’t going to stop illegal streams, as people who use them aren’t going to pay another $20 a month just for one team, so the NBA just keeps adding options that don’t address the real issue.