By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports channels, has reached an agreement with the National Hockey League to continue broadcasts of games for 11 teams through the current 2023-24 season, according to court documents filed yesterday. The deal, which must be approved on January 3 by the judge presiding in Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy case, calls for the company’s TV rights to end after this season.
The RSN (regional sports network) company previously reached a similar agreement with the NBA for its 2023-24 campaign and ‘the framework’ of a deal with MLB for the upcoming 2024 season. Both the MLB and NBA agreements will have to be approved by the bankruptcy court and the MLB pact will have to be signed by both parties.
Pacts with the three leagues would set the stage for Diamond Sports to either liquidate or reorganize as a new company following the current seasons. The company could negotiate new deals with the NBA, NHL or MLB to continue broadcasting their games. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Amazon is considering investing in Diamond Sports, which would certainly help its effort to continue business.
Diamond Sports declared bankruptcy last March.
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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.
