By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
DIRECTV and Diamond Sports have a multi-year agreement “in principle” to continue carrying the Bally Sports regional sports networks, The Puck’s John Ourand reports on X.
Update: DIRECTV announced on May 1 that the multi year deal is official.
Diamond Sports, the bankrupt owner of the Bally Sports RSNs, last fall secured short-term carriage agreements with both DIRECTV and Comcast. Ourand writes that Comcast’s short-term deal is set to expire tomorrow.
Charter’s Spectrum TV, the nation’s largest cable operator, recently renewed its carriage agreement with Diamond Sports. If Diamond Sports can get a new deal with Comcast, it will have agreements with the three largest pay TV operators.
Despite the odds, and various pundit predictions, Diamond Sports is still very much alive and maintains contracts to broadcast MLB games through the 2024 season. In addition, it has agreements for 2024 and beyond for the NBA and NHL. The company is also expected to pick up Amazon as a partner by fall.
However, all three leagues have expressed concern that Diamond Sports will not have sufficient resources after it emerges from bankruptcy. It’s also unclear when the bankruptcy reorganization plan will begin.
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