By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs), yesterday issued an ‘open letter’ to Comcast subscribers in which the company charges the cable operator with refusing to accept the same market terms agreed to recently by other TV providers such as DIRECTV, Cox and Charter’s Spectrum TV. Comcast on May 1 lost the Bally Sports (RSNs) when the two sides could not reach a new carriage agreement.
The RSN company says Comcast wants to move Bally Sports to a more expensive programming tier. This is what the cable operator has negotiated with three other RSNs (MASN, Root Sports and SportsNet Pittsburgh) in the past year.
“Bottom line, (Comcast’s) current proposal will immediately put Bally Sports on a tier requiring you to pay more to see your favorite teams,” the Diamond Sports statement says. “This matter is not an attempt to ask Xfinity for more money. In fact, we are just asking them to accept market terms, similar to what Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, DirecTV and DirecTV Stream all did just last month.”
The statement adds: “Our goal? Reach a deal and get your local teams back on air. Sadly, Xfinity hasn’t been willing to engage in meaningful discussions, nor will they put the channels back on while we continue to work through this. We’re not giving up, though. We want to make this work with Xfinity and hope that they recognize the crucial role Bally Sports plays in serving local sports fans. The stakes are high. Millions of our customers who enjoy the games we broadcast are already being left in the dark.”
Diamond Sports 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. However, 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.
Comcast has not issued a statement in response to the Diamond Sports open letter. However, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Diamond Sports in March 2024 declined to extend the previous carriage agreement by a year. The newspaper does not say why Diamond Sports would reject a one-year deal but the RSN company has negotiated multi-year deals with DIRECTV, Cox and Spectrum TV.
Diamond Sports, which declared bankruptcy in March 2023, is still working on its reorganization plan and is attempting to persuade the leagues (MLB, NHL and NBA) that it will be financially equipped to broadcast their teams’ games. A multi-year deal with Comcast would be better than a single-year agreement in that effort.
Comcast’s Xfinity support page on X issued this statement to customers complaining about the absence of Bally Sports: “Comcast pays programmers to provide entertainment, information, and sports to customers. We negotiate fair terms to maximize customer value and ensure the greatest value for customers.”
The Bally Sports blackout is affecting Comcast subscribers in such markets as Minnesota, Atlanta, Miami, Detroit and St. Louis, among others.
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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.
