By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
Major League Baseball and Diamond Sports have reached the ‘framework’ of an agreement that will allow for the Bally Sports regional sports networks to carry the games of up to 11 MLB teams in 2024, according to various news reports, including Awful Announcing. The agreement would likely end after the 2024 season, allowing the teams and league to pursue other TV partners.
When Will MLB and Diamond Sports Sign a New Deal?
The league had planned last week to request in a Texas bankruptcy court that Diamond Sports be forced to decide whether to carry the MLB teams in 2024. Diamond, which declared bankruptcy last March, owns the Bally Sports regional sports channels and has been reviewing whether to continue broadcasting the baseball games next season. The bankruptcy court judge postponed a hearing on the MLB’s motion until January 10 after attorneys for MLB and Diamond Sports notified him that they are close to an agreement.
“We are in a position to believe that we have a framework to move forward,” James Bromley, an attorney for MLB, told the court. “We have a lot of conditions and issues that we still need to work through. But we think at this point, it’s appropriate to ask the court if we could take the hearing from today’s calendar and move it to a date in January.”
Which MLB Teams Does Bally Sports Carry?
The 11 MLB teams that Diamond Sports still has agreements with are the Royals, Rangers, Angels, Brewers, Braves, Cardinals, Guardians, Marlins, Rays, Reds, and Tigers. It’s possible that Diamond Sports and MLB will eventually agree to jettison a few more teams before finalizing a 2024 agreement. But it would appear that the RSN company will broadcast the games of most, if not all, 11 teams next season.
The question will soon become what will become of Diamond Sports after it finishes its agreements with the MLB and the NBA and NHL. (Diamond has a similar 2023-24 arrangement with the NBA.) Will the company then liquidate and sell its assets to satisfy existing creditors? Or will it attempt to renegotiate new agreements with the professional sports leagues?
Some teams have already acknowledged that it will be difficult to replace the Diamond Sports rights revenue if the company goes out of business. While they could pursue TV deals with local channels, or other outlets, they could be interested in new pacts with a better-financed Diamond Sports if the money is right.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
