A general view of the Orlando Magic logo at center court inside of the Kia Center
The Magic became the sixth NBA team to switch to a over-the-air broadcast template for the 2026-27 season.
The Magic became the latest NBA team to switch to a over-the-air broadcast template for the 2026-27 season after finalizing one-year deals Wednesday with Cox stations in both Orlando and Jacksonville.
The package, which sources said will include a rights fee likely in the $8M range, comes hours after the Hornets struck a similar arrangement with a Cox channel in Charlotte. Like the Hornets, the Magic are expected to add a coinciding direct-to-consumer deal with DAZN that purportedly pays the franchise an additional rights fee in the $1M-$2M range.
Last season, before Main Street Sports Group defaulted on payments, the Magic were earning roughly $25M for their local TV rights fees – meaning there will be year-over-year financial dip. But, like the five other former Main Street Sports Group teams who’ve also gone the OTA route in recent weeks and months (the Heat, Pistons, Hawks, Bucks and Hornets), the franchise is hoping to recoup revenue through the reach of free TV -- plus the ad sales, merch and ticket sales that come with it.
Sources said two more teams, the Thunder and Clippers, will likely go the OTA route, as well, while DAZN is expected to sign extensive local broadcast deals with the Cavaliers, Pacers, Spurs and Grizzlies in the coming days and weeks. DAZN already has a full exclusive agreement with the T’Wolves.
The Magic’s journey has been complex. Sources said the team originally planned to sign with Victory+, contingent on Victory+ receiving financing. When that funding fell through -- largely because teams are expected to leave after one year for the NBA’s centralized hub, leaving investors wary -- the Magic pivoted to the OTA option.
In Orlando, all non-national regular season games will air on Cox’s WRDQ TV 27, with select games also airing on Cox’s WFTV Channel 9. In Jacksonville, Magic games will air on Cox’s CBS47 and Fox30. The deals were handled in-house.
The franchise is also in talks to add affiliates in Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Panama City.