By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
TV Answer Man, do you know when Amazon will start selling the Bally Sports channels? — Jimmy, Detroit.
Jimmy, Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports regional sports networks, announced in January that Amazon has agreed to invest in the company. If the deal is approved by Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy court, which is likely, it will allow Amazon’s Prime Video to sell the streaming version of the Bally Sports RSNs. (Diamond Sports declared bankruptcy in March 2023 and is nearing completion of a reorganization plan.)
Diamond said in a recent bankruptcy court filing that it expects the Amazon deal to close in October, which would precede the opening of the NBA and NHL seasons. The RSN company still has the streaming rights to more than 25 NHL and NBA teams for the 2024-25 season. If the Amazon-Diamond Sports agreement is closed by October, look for Amazon to begin offering the Bally Sports channels soon thereafter. And when it does, they won’t be called Bally Sports. Diamond and Bally have said their naming deal will soon end.
It’s unclear if Amazon will make a local RSN part of a Prime membership or sell it for a monthly fee. Bally Sports Plus, the cord-cutting app for the Bally Sports channels, currently costs $19.99 a month with the current lineup. That’s a good starting point for Prime Video. But I would expect Amazon to offer a discount for Prime members, perhaps $5-10 a month. For Prime members, that would bring the price from somewhere between $9.99 and $14.99 a month.
Jimmy, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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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.
