The Diamond Sports-MLB Crisis: Could MLB TV Stream the Games Without Blackouts?

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

TV Answer Man, could MLB TV show the Bally Sports games if Diamond Sports bails? And could they do it without a blackout? — Tony, Las Vegas. 

Tony, Diamond Sports, the owner of the Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSN), shook up Major League Baseball yesterday by informing a bankruptcy court that it might not carry any MLB teams after December 31, 2024 except for the Atlanta Braves. The company, which declared bankruptcy in March 2023 and is seeking to reorganize, says it will try to renegotiate new deals with at least some of the teams. But if that effort fails, it will terminate the MLB contracts which it can under bankruptcy law.

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.

Update: MLB to take over broadcasts of Twins, Guardians and Brewers.

MLB officials said it had no advanced warning of the Diamond Sports filing. The league will now have to evaluate its options which could include signing a deal with a new carrier such as ESPN or Amazon or allowing the teams to negotiate separate deals with local channels that could be accessed for free via an antenna.

Another option would be MLB TV. The league’s streaming service became the broadcaster of the Padres, Diamondbacks and Rockies when Diamond Sports terminated their agreements in 2023 and 2024. MLB could add the remaining Bally Sports teams (except for the Braves) to MLB TV as well. And, yes, the games could be shown on MLB TV in market without blackouts.

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

The TV Answer Man will continue to monitor this situation. And if you have questions about the Diamond Sports-MLB crisis, send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

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.