The Minnesota Timberwolves games won't be broadcast on their longtime flagship WCCO Radio this season, and it wasn't immediately clear where the games will be heard.
Timberwolves end radio partnership with WCCO, tell station they will use 'super nontraditional' broadcast
The station had been the flagship for Wolves broadcasts since 2011 and offered the team more money to stay in contract negotiations. Longtime play-by-play man Alan Horton will remain a part of the team's plans.
September 15, 2023 at 3:03AM
"We appreciated our partnership with WCCO and the radio broadcast opportunities we were able to accomplish with them," team spokeswoman Sara Perez wrote in a statement. "However, we are looking forward to announcing a new radio broadcast partnership in the weeks to come."
In a letter to radio staff, WCCO market manager and senior vice president Jeff Gonsales wrote the station worked hard to keep the NBA team and "offered more than what we delivered from our previous contract."
He said Timberwolves Chief Operating Officer Ryan Tanke told WCCO that the team is going to use a "super nontraditional" route for its broadcast partnership in a "one-year trial."
Longtime play-by-play man Alan Horton will remain a part of the team's plans for the new-look broadcast.
WCCO Radio program director Brad Lane confirmed the Timberwolves won't be on the station this season, but said he didn't know what the team's plans are for audio.
Wolves games have aired on WCCO since 2011. Games also aired on 102.9 FM, WCCO's sister station. There were also 30 radio stations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota that aired games as partners.
Absent Wolves games, WCCO will continue with on-air host Henry Lake and a show with more current events, pop culture and relatable nonsports topics. The Timberwolves and WCCO Radio have been long-time partners, broadcasting pregame and postgame shows. In 2021, they added Lake's podcast, "Life in the Pack," on the Audacy app.
The Timberwolves are shifting from majority owner Glen Taylor to a group headed by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. That group also owns the four-time WNBA champion Lynx, who have not had a radio partner for the past two seasons. Taylor is owner of the Star Tribune.
On Tuesday, the Timberwolves announced their television schedule, with most games airing on Bally Sports North or Bally Sports Extra; there are 10 national TV games, including two on TNT, three on ESPN and five on NBA TV.
The team begins its regular season Oct. 25 in Toronto playing the Raptors. The first home game is Oct. 28 against the Miami Heat at Target Center.
Their first preseason game is Oct. 5 against the Dallas Mavericks in Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Staff writer Chris Hine contributed to this report.
The players communicated through a group text chain to pull themselves out of a four-game losing streak. But the thread is used for other ways to bond and build camaraderie.
