By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
TV Answer Man, do you know when the Comcast blackout with Bally Sports will end? Should I switch to another provider because I want to watch my Braves! — Rob, Atlanta.
Rob, Comcast on May 1 lost 15 Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs) because the cable operator could not reach a new carriage agreement with their owner, Diamond Sports, which is still working on its bankruptcy reorganization plan. Both sides issued statements on day one outlining their positions. But since those initial volleys, the two companies have been relatively quiet in public, choosing not to engage in excessive rhetoric accusing the other of various misdeeds.
That’s the good news. It suggests that Comcast and Diamond Sports are both open to exploring common ground. Usually when both sides are far apart in carriage disputes, they try to win favor with the public by issuing statements making the other side look like the bad guy. But we haven’t seen much of that since the May 1 statements.
However, the bad news is that it’s likely that Comcast will remain firm that it needs to move Bally Sports to a more expensive programming tier. This is what Comcast has negotiated with three other RSNs (MASN, Root Sports and SportsNet Pittsburgh) in the past year.
Diamond Sports likely opposes the move to a higher tier because it would mean that fewer Comcast subscribers would have access to the Bally Sports channels and that would mean fewer carriage fees for Diamond Sports. (Comcast wants the move because it would mean fewer carriage fees, and it could reduce or eliminate the regional sports fee for subscribers of the less expensive package. That would encourage more subscribers not to cut the cord.)
So there’s the stalemate. With Diamond Sports still evaluating its future post-bankruptcy, and its relationship with the three leagues (MLB, NBA and NHL) whose games it carries, the company is not likely to concede anytime soon. It needs to determine how the higher tier scenario would affect their profit margins now, and in the years ahead, and how league executives and other pay TV operators might react to that. This is not a simple process, which is why I think a carriage deal is likely weeks (if not months) away rather than days.
What does this mean to the Comcast subscriber who wants Bally Sports back? I would advise a switch to Fubo or DIRECTV Stream, both of whom carry the RSNs. While it’s possible that an agreement will take place in May, the odds are better it will happen during the summer, perhaps even late summer as Diamond Sports closes on its bankruptcy plan. If you don’t switch now, there’s a good chance you will miss much of the 2024 MLB season.
If you live in one of the five markets (Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee) where Bally Sports Plus offers an MLB team via its standalone streaming app, that would be an option, too. Bally Sports Plus costs $19.99 a month.
Rob, 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.
