A Bally Sports display is shown in the eighth inning of the game between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 9, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Astros defeated the Twins 5-1.
David Berding | Getty Images Sport | fake images
Comcast Customers on Wednesday lost access to Bally Sports' regional networks a month later. The MLB regular season.
Fans of 11 MLB teams, including the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins, lost access to networks that broadcast local games early Wednesday. With the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, fans of teams in those leagues won't feel the effect until next season if the blackout continues until then.
Negotiations between Comcast and Bally Sports operator Diamond Sports Group, which has been under bankruptcy protection since last year, broke down after a dispute over terms. Comcast offers cable and Internet services under the Xfinity brand.
The blackout marks another weak point for the regional sports network business, which has faced pressure as consumers cut back on pay TV subscriptions in favor of streaming.
MLB teams no longer available to Comcast customers
Detroit Tigers
Miami Marlins
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Lightning
Texas Rangers
Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Angels
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers
*Note: Comcast is not a provider of these devices in all markets.
A Diamond spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday that Comcast “declined to engage in substantive discussions” even though Diamond is offering terms similar to those reached with other distributors.
“We are a fan-first company and will continue to pursue an agreement with Comcast to restore broadcasts, and at this critical time for Diamond, we hope Comcast recognizes the important and mutually beneficial role that Diamond and the RSNs play in the media ecosystem ” a Diamond spokesperson he said in the statement.
Diamond's deal with Comcast expired in the fall, but the two companies agreed to a six-month extension at that time. A Comcast spokesperson said in a statement that Diamond had the right to extend the agreement for another year, “which they chose not to exercise.”
“We would like to continue broadcasting their networks, but they have rejected multiple offers and we now no longer have the rights to this programming,” the statement said. Comcast said it will provide affected customers with between $8 and $10 per month in credits.
On Tuesday night, Diamond said Comcast “rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air.” The offer would have been open-ended and would have kept the networks on the air while negotiations continued with the goal of signing a multi-year deal, a person familiar with the matter said.
Talks broke down primarily over how quickly Comcast could shift Bally Sports' networks to a tiered model, meaning customers would have to opt for packages that include the channels at a higher rate rather than including them in cable packages. More spacious.
Pay TV distributors have been losing customers at a rapid rate in recent years as customers opt for cheaper streaming options. Comcast had more than 13.6 million pay TV customers as of March 31, after losing 487,000 subscribers during the first quarter.
Some regional sports networks have begun offering streaming options to customers at a price that does not disrupt the pay TV model. Diamond has the broadcast rights to five of the MLB teams that lost service on Comcast.
Transportation agreements with distributors are considered key to ensuring a viable business plan and future for Diamond. In addition to Comcast, Diamond has held negotiations in recent weeks. with Charter communications – which offers pay television services under the Spectrum brand – DirecTV and Cox Communications.
So far, Diamond has signed multi-year deals with Charter and Cox. On Wednesday, DirecTV said it also reached an agreement with Diamond to continue carrying the networks. The agreements expand the terms of the current agreements, with a shift to a phased model over time, people close to the situation said.
While the Diamond package and Internet-TV fubo tv Also signed a multi-year deal in December, Bally Sports networks are absent from other major Internet TV providers such as Google'YouTube TV and disney's Hulu+ Live TV.
Diamond filed for bankruptcy last March. Since then, he has turned down rights deals with some teams, including MLB's San Diego Padres and the NBA's Phoenix Suns, who signed a deal to broadcast games on local broadcast stations.
The largest operator of regional sports networks is seeking to emerge from bankruptcy in the coming months under the ownership of its creditors and is scheduled to have a hearing to confirm its reorganization plan in June.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
