Pistons Announce New Groundbreaking Television Deal for 2026-27 Season

Detroit Pistons basketball just received some of its best news in a long time for the 2026 season and beyond.

Starting next season, the Pistons will return to over-the-air television, meaning it will once again be free to all viewers. Not only will their games be free in the city, but also in metro Detroit and the entire state of Michigan.

It has been a long time since the Pistons were available on free television, and this return seems very fan-oriented, with the team performing well in the last two seasons.

Not only will the games be free, but all other coverage of their broadcasts will as well, including pregame, in-game, and postgame programming.

This new deal is monumental in the state of Michigan, and considering how well the Pistons have been performing, it will be well received by fans in this new age of Detroit basketball.

Where to find Pistons basketball in 2026-27

Starting this October, the Detroit Pistons will be broadcast on WMYD TV20 Detroit, owned and operated by The E.W. Scripps Company. All preseason and regular season games can be found there for their locally available games.

All participating cable and satellite providers will give access to Piston's basketball and give fans the opportunity to tune in all season long. For fans not familiar with WMYD TV20 Detroit, this is their ABC affiliate station, so it won’t be difficult to find broadcasts on game night.

Fans outside of Michigan won’t have the luxury of free Pistons broadcasts, so they’ll still be looking for the most feasible streaming option. Fans within the state of Michigan, however, are in good hands.

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores commented on the new deal, saying, “This move is for the fans.”

“They have been huge all season and throughout this playoff run. Their energy and support have lifted our team and helped fuel our resurgence.”

Not many NBA teams are on television deals that make their local teams free to watch on cable and satellite TV, which can be attributed to NBA owners being noncommittal to catering to their biggest supporters: the fans.

“It’s a new era of Pistons basketball, and we want to make sure more people in Detroit and throughout Michigan can be part of the journey,” Gores said.

What makes this TV deal so important

It’s no secret how popular the Detroit Pistons are, especially now with their success as they battle the Cleveland Cavaliers in a close series with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.

This new broadcasting deal makes the Pistons easily accessible for the first time since 2005, the last time they had a local broadcast home. There will be no need for paid subscriptions, which is a massive plus for fans.

The Pistons have celebrated three NBA championships in their storied history, with the most recent coming in 2004. There have been ups and downs since then, but under Michigan native owner Tom Gores, who purchased the team in 2011, the Pistons have worked hard to become a community-oriented franchise.

Now, the Pistons are in prime position for a deep playoff run, and with a loaded roster led by superstar Cade Cunningham, they look poised to continue their success for the foreseeable future.

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