Diamond Sports Says It Will No Longer Carry 11 MLB Teams

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, I read that Bally Sports won’t carry the Marlins anymore. Do you know what’s up with that? — Jake, Miami.

Jake, Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSN), today informed the judge presiding over its bankruptcy reorganization that it plans to drop carriage of all MLB teams except the Atlanta Braves on December 31, 2024.

However, the RSN company suggested it would try to re-sign at least some of those teams with reduced carriage rates. If they are unable to do so, Major League Baseball could become the broadcaster of the teams’ games or another company such as Disney’s ESPN or Amazon could make bids for their local rights. The teams could also seek agreements with local channels which could be seen via an antenna, as some NHL and NBA teams have done.

The teams that could become TV free agents are the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels. Diamond Sports also broadcast the 2024 games of the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins but their contracts have already expired.

“To the extent a going reorganization concern (resigning the teams) is not pursued, (Diamond Sports) will reject or otherwise terminate all of their contracts with MLB and its applicable teams effective as of December 31, 2024, well in advance of the 2025 MLB season,” Diamond Sports said today in a motion filed with the court.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of the MLB teams is in contrast to Diamond Sports’ relationship with the NBA and NHL which has signed new agreements for the RSN company to carry their games in the 2024/25 season. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been a frequent critic of Diamond Sports, and Sinclair Broadcasting, its former operator, for the last few years.

Diamond Sports declared bankruptcy in March 2023 and has since struggled to develop a reorganization plan that would allow the company to operate profitably.

Jake, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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.