The NBA Finals have the night off on Tuesday, June 11, as it moves down to Dallas where the Mavericks hope to claw back into the series that currently sees the Boston Celtics holding a 2-0 lead. But basketball fans pining for something to watch need not worry, because ABC is airing the broadcast debut of the critically acclaimed basketball sports drama Air starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Viola Davis at 8 pm ET/PT.
Air is based on the true story of Nike's pursuit to sign Michael Jordan as he enters the NBA from college in 1984 and the creation of the Air Jordan sneaker. Specifically, it tracks Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) as he leads Nike's fledgling basketball department (the iconic sports brand was known more as a running shoe company in the early 80s) and attempts to convince Nike founder Phil Knight (Affleck) that Jordan can be a game-changer for them. The movie also stars Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother and young actor Damian Young as Michael Jordan.
Now we all know how this story works out (the Air Jordan shoe brand is one of the most iconic brands in the world), but the script and performances from Damon, Davis and the ensemble are what made critics fall in love with the movie. In WTW's Air review, we called the movie a "winner" and "crowd-pleasing." That sentiment was shared by others, as Air is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a 93% positive score, while audiences rated it even better, with 98% of viewers enjoying it.
This is the first time that Air is going to be available to watch on broadcast TV. The movie originally premiered exclusively in movie theaters in spring 2023, before becoming available for at-home viewing via digital on-demand and then streaming on Prime Video. Now, as long as you have a pay-TV provider, a live TV streaming service that carries ABC (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or even a TV antenna, you can watch Air at no additional cost. However, if you miss it tonight, then you can still stream Air on Prime Video or rent it.
Whether you're a basketball fan just needing something to hold you over until game 3 (airing Wednesday, June 12, on ABC at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT) or just looking for something good to watch in these early days of summer TV, we think Air is a good option.
Watch the trailer for Air directly below to get a sneak peek at it:
