The Lakers are launching a low-cost direct-to-consumer streaming service featuring team games, player interviews and pre- and post-game coverage

Spectrum SportsNet and the Los Angeles Lakers today announced the launch of Spectrum SportsNet+, a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service that will provide a 24/7 feed of – a huge boon for cord-cutters in the Los Angeles area Spectrum SportsNet provides sports fans with live Lakers games and behind-the-scenes Lakers content.

Starting today, fans can purchase a Spectrum SportsNet+ subscription at NBA.com and watch on a variety of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Roku, Android phones, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Hisense, PlayStation and Xbox. Spectrum SportsNet+ is powered by the NBA’s integrated digital platform.

Previously, Purple and Gold fans in the area had to subscribe to AT&T’s UVerse, DirecTV or Cox cable services, the only packages Spectrum SportsNet offered. However, these cable services are significantly more expensive than the new D-to-C offering.

Now, fans in Southern California, Hawaii and Southern Nevada without access to Spectrum SportsNet+ can purchase Spectrum SportsNet+ for $19.99 per month or $179.99 per season. Existing Spectrum, DirecTV and Cox pay-TV customers who have access to Spectrum SportsNet programming can watch at no additional cost through the Spectrum SportsNet app and with verified access to Spectrum SportsNet+.

“As the NBA regular season begins, the launch of Spectrum SportsNet+ will allow even more fans to enjoy live Lakers games and in-depth, unique coverage of their favorite team, with or without a pay TV subscription,” Dan Finnerty, senior vice president and general manager of Spectrum Sports said in a statement. “By offering a variety of packages, we offer fans more choice and flexibility and take another step toward evolving the Regional Sports Network model in this new era of sports broadcasting.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver predicted exactly such moves yesterday in an interview with Yahoo Sports.

“There is no doubt that reinvention is needed [and] “A solution in terms of the delivery system…If you are a fan of your local team, you should have the option on the NBA app or with one of our partners to click on it and the game at a to get a reasonable fee,” he said. Silver also emphasized the relative importance of streaming offerings to the NBA compared to other major leagues in the United States

“We’re paying attention to the fact that not only is the basic cable universe declining, but the demographics of that audience are changing. “It’s looking less and less like America — older and less diverse — and the NBA has a particularly young and diverse audience,” Silver noted.

“So we recognize that the demise of cable television has had some disproportionate impact on the NBA. Our young audience doesn’t subscribe to cable, and those fans can’t find our games.”

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery now pays the league $2.7 billion a year to broadcast games nationally – on ESPN/ABC and TNT, respectively. This agreement ends with the 2024-2025 season. Teams like the Lakers face a completely different media landscape once their current contract expires.

“This new service gives Lakers fans another way to see their favorite team in action on the court,” said Los Angeles Lakers President of Business Operations Tim Harris. “The launch of Spectrum SportsNet+ brings premium, in-depth reporting, analysis and behind-the-scenes content to more fans across the region, allowing us to reach more people every day and grow the next generation of Lakers fans .”

Spectrum SportsNet+ will show live Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings regular season games beginning Sunday, October 29 at 6:00 p.m. Access SportsNet: Lakers The pregame show airs 60 minutes before every Lakers game throughout the season and features game previews, interviews and coverage. Immediately after each game Access SportsNet: Lakers Postgame features interviews with players and coaches, game highlights and in-depth analysis.