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Founded on March 31, 2021, Bally Sports has spent the last few years slowly but surely making its way into the world of live streaming regional professional sports games for the millions who have been ditching cable television. However, this week Comcast subscribers have been left in the dark in terms of what Bally provided, due to the two media brands not reaching an agreement on a new contract.
The uproar made waves on the internet, as many baseball fans who had Comcast as their cable and internet provider logged onto Bally Sports, and were met with a purple screen that let customers know that Bally Sports was no longer available if you had Comcast.
So what made this happen?
Bally Sports’ parent company, Diamond Sports Group, had agreed to a six-month extension with Comcast late last year; however, the two media companies could not agree on a multi-year deal to secure Bally Sports availability through Comcast as an internet provider.
All of this is happening to Diamond Sports Group a little over a year after the organization filed for bankruptcy in March 2023. The company operates 18 networks, most of which have distribution deals with Comcast and Xfinity. Bally Sports has become a safe haven for those fly-over states with professional sports teams in them. Diamond Sports Group still owns the linear streaming rights for up to 12 MLB teams.
So if you’re a baseball fan, you must be wondering where the MLB is in all of this and why they can’t step in and help negotiate. The truth is, the MLB has their hands tied in this situation; a move by them to remove the blackout and switch some broadcasts over to MLB TV would be a breach of contract between Comcast and Diamond Sports Group.
What could this mean for your favorite sports coverage in the future?
Many NBA anmdd NHL fans wonder what this could mean come the start of next year’s season in the fall. Being that the NBA and NHL are all in the postseason, all, if not most, games are now nationally televised, so this does not affect either sport at the moment. However, Bally Sports became a huge landing spot for basketball fans to catch the regional action of the teams in their market.
Diamond Sports Group’s statement on the matter mentioned their “disappointment” with Comcast throughout the negotiating process. A representative of Comcast stated that “they were very flexible with Diamond Sports Group over the last few months during their bankruptcy proceedings.”
So where is Bally offered now?
Diamond Sports Group has stated that they are still open to neogitons with Comcast, but time will tell on that matter. As for whether you can still find Bally Sports anywhere to live stream some regional sports this summer, the service is available on Direct TV, as the two organizations reached a deal on a multi-year contract. Diamond Sports Groups also announced multi-year renewals with Charter and Cox Communications.