Asking and answering: Everything you need to know about Heat coverage on WPLG-10

When Miami plays Toronto in the NBA’s preseason opener in Quebec City at 7 p.m. on Saturday night, it will mark the official start of WPLG-10’s exclusive new deal as the Heat’s TV rights-holder.

This likely will be the only season that viewers will be able to watch most Heat games on WPLG, presuming the NBA goes ahead with plans to centralize teams’ local rights and sell them to a national streamer next season. If that happens, which is widely expected, WPLG likely would have a small package of exclusive games in 2027-28 and potentially beyond.

In the meantime, here’s what you need to know as the Heat enters a new broadcast frontier after a long run on soon-to-be-shuttered FanDuel Sports Sun:

▪ Is WPLG available on all local cable systems, streaming services and satellite providers?

No. Several major carriers have kept WPLG even after its divorce last year from ABC – including Comcast, Breezeline and DirecTV satellite.

But five providers that dropped WPLG haven’t yet signed up to carry the station again. Those five are Dish Network, YouTube TV, DirecTV streaming, Hulu and Fubo.

WPLG says there are ongoing conversations with some of those providers, but the station could not say whether deals would be struck with any of them.

▪ So how can you watch the games if your provider doesn’t carry WPLG?

Because WPLG remains an over-the-air (non cable) station, simply buying an in-home antenna should do the trick for Miami-Dade and Broward residents.

Viewers in all homes in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties also can watch games on one of WPLG’s two apps.

▪ So what’s the difference between the two WPLG apps? Will it cost me anything?

The original app (LOCAL 10 PLUS) and the new app (LOCAL 10 PLUS PLATINUM) are both free and both will stream Heat games live for viewers in Monroe, Dade and Broward counties, the station said.

But you will need to download the LOCAL 10 PLUS PLATINUM app to watch games on replay within 48 hours after games. Replays aren’t available on the other app.

▪ Can all Smart TVs download the WPLG apps?

According to WPLG, every Smart television has the capacity to display the station’s apps except Vizio.

Heat fans with Vizio televisions can use a media streaming device, such as Roku or Amazon Firestick TV plus, to download the app. Or they can install an antenna on their television or, if you insist, buy a new television (though that’s not necessary).

▪ What about fans in Palm Beach County?

The Heat says it is finalizing a deal with a West Palm Beach station, but the contract is not expected to be completed until next week at the earliest. That station, which the Heat has declined to identify, plans to simulcast two of the five preseason games and all of WPLG’s regular season package.

That means Saturday’s game against Toronto will not be televised in the Palm Beach market; NBA TV’s telecast is supposed to be blacked out in Palm Beach, per the league’s broadcast rules, though it’s always possible that a cable operator could forget to do that.

Heat fans who live in South Palm Beach and have WPLG on their cable or satellite systems will be able to watch Saturday’s game and all Heat games that air on Channel 10.

But fans anywhere north of Broward County won’t be able to watch the games on either of WPLG’s two apps because of NBA broadcast rules.

▪ What about Heat fans in the Naples/Fort Myers area and anywhere in the country north of that? How they can watch the games?

The Heat expects to have an affiliate in Naples/Fort Myers, but that deal isn’t done, either.

Fans north of that, in Florida and the 49 other states, can continue to view games by paying for NBA League Pass.

But until deals are done with affiliates in West Palm Beach and Naples/Fort Myers, fans in those markets won’t be able to watch the games because League Pass cannot carry Heat games in the Heat’s broadcast territory, which includes those markets.

▪ Eric Reid and John Crotty will continue to call the games. So what’s the biggest change in coverage that viewers will notice?

WPLG won’t carry a stand-alone postgame show except for very occasions.

Instead, the station confirmed it will go straight to news after games but inject some comments from coach Erik Spoelstra’s postgame news conference (and occasionally, some player reaction) in the first or second blocks of its newscast.

For weeknight games, WPLG either won’t carry a pregame show or will air a very brief one, lasting only a few minutes.

▪ Anything else we should know?

There are a few talent changes. Kelly Saco and Jeremy Tache won’t be accompanying the team from FanDuel to WPLG.

Instead of hosting all the home games on TV, Heat radio voice Jason Jackson will host pregame shows only for weekend home games, when the station typically will have a longer show.

WPLG sports director Will Manso, a staple of FanDuel’s Heat coverage through the years, will host halftimes for all games, with Ron Rothstein joining him for most home games and select road games. Manso also will handle short pregame segments and sideline reporting, including in-game interviews.

Besides working some games alongside Jackson on radio (WQAM 560), Amy Audibert will take on a new role as a sideline analyst, offering commentary from time to time during broadcasts. Audibert and Manso will share postgame player interviews.

▪ Why is the number of WPLG games not set?

Because the station will get two more games, bringing its regular season package to 68, if the Heat does not advance to the semifinals of the NBA Cup. WPLG also will carry all five preseason games.

▪ What about the games that aren’t on WPLG? Where will they air in South Florida?

ABC will exclusively carry three of them: a Saturday night, Dec. 12 game against the Knicks (the next Saturday without college football), a 2:30 p.m. Christmas Day game at Boston and a Saturday home game against Philadelphia at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 30.

NBC will exclusively carry five Heat games nationally and locally: at 8 p.m. at Dallas on Tuesday, Dec. 29; at 5 p.m. on President’s Day (Feb. 15) against San Antonio; at Houston at 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 (as the second game of a Sunday night doubleheader), at Denver on Sunday night, March 14 and home against the Lakers on Tuesday night, March 23. All those games also will be streamed on Peacock.

All of these NBC games are subject to flex scheduling.

Amazon will carry four games exclusively, both nationally and in South Florida: Friday, Nov. 27 at the Knicks; Friday Dec. 18 at home against the Clippers; Thursday, Jan. 28 at Milwaukee (Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game back in Wisconsin since the trade); and Tuesday, April 8 at home against Philadelphia.

WPLG received permission to air Amazon’s two other Heat games: Feb. 6 at Minnesota and March 6 at home against Indiana.

ESPN will carry eight Heat games nationally, and WPLG will air its own broadcast (with Reid and Crotty) for six of those games. The exceptions: ESPN has local exclusivity for the Oct. 21 opener against visiting Minnesota and for the 5 p.m. game at Philadelphia on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving.

All of NBA TV’s Heat games — and Heat games that are only on NBC-SN and Peacock — will be televised locally by WPLG, with Reid and Crotty on the call.

This story was originally published October 1, 2026 at 11:37 AM.