Game 1 of Knicks-Hawks will be on Amazon Prime Video, not MSG

For Knicks fans who have become accustomed to Mike Breen and Walt “Clyde” Frazier ringing in the playoffs on MSG Network, this year’s postseason will bring an adjustment.

Local television broadcasts typically have been a staple of the first round of the NBA playoffs, but not anymore. For the first time — as part of the league’s 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal that began this season — every playoff game will be exclusively broadcast on either ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock or Amazon Prime Video.

Game 1 of the Knicks' first-round playoff series against the Hawks will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video at 6 p.m. Saturday. The rest of the schedule for the series is not set as of Monday.

Breen, who will continue to be the voice of the NBA Finals for ESPN, sounded off on the unwelcome change during Sunday night’s regular-season finale between the Knicks and Hornets at Madison Square Garden.

“I personally think, Clyde, it's a poor decision,” Breen said. “Fans want to hear their teams’ [announcers], at least in the first round. Because for so many of us — and all of my favorite teams growing up — the home team announcers, they become part of the family, such a big part of why you root for the team.

“Now, I get it, that the networks pay a fortune to get exclusivity. Obviously, I work for one of the networks, and it's important for them. But I just think the fans deserve to be thrown a bone once in a while in terms of, let the home team have a little bit of the first round somehow, if there's any way they could ever work out some kind of compromise.

“I'm not hopeful for that, but it'd be wonderful to have it because this is our final telecast of the season.”

Prime will stream all six games of the NBA Play-In Tournament and up to 11 first-round games, according to a guide published by Amazon earlier this month.

Breen’s words were met with plenty of support. Regional broadcasters around the NBA took to X, applauding him for speaking about the matter despite the fact he will continue to be on air for the postseason.

“Really appreciate this, especially coming from someone like Mike Breen,” wrote Natalie Kerwin, a sideline reporter and host for the East’s top-seeded Pistons’ broadcasts. “Wish we had the chance to call playoff basketball with our crew this postseason.”

Kevin Ray, the play-by-play announcer for the Western Conference’s seventh-seeded Suns, wrote: “Say it louder for everyone in the back! When the Legend speaks somebody should listen!”

And Vic Lombardi, an on-air reporter and host for the West’s third-seeded Nuggets, posted: “Mike Breen spewing truth. Sucks we can’t carry ANY playoff games. We will still carry pre and post game shows on @AltitudeTV. But the league has $76 billion reasons they chose this path. I get it.”

By Ben Dickson

benjamin.dickson@newsday.com@bendickson__

Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.