Although the regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports appears to be getting a new name soon, the issue with a major cable provider that has kept Major League Baseball games offline in several markets, including Atlanta, hasn’t changed.
At a Chapter 11 hearing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, the RSN stated that it had found a new naming rights partner. As part of Diamond Sports Group’s reorganization plan, they will end their current deal with Bally, which is scheduled to conclude at the end of the 2024 MLB season. Bloomberg reported Monday that Diamond and FanDuel, the sports betting website, were “close to an agreement.” Neither Diamond or FanDuel have confirmed the deal, but any deal would likely take effect at the end of the MLB 2024 season and start with the NBA and NHL seasons.
This change is taking place in the backdrop of an ongoing carriage issue that shows no signs of ending. At the same bankruptcy hearing, Diamond’s attorney told the judge that negotiations between Diamond and Comcast “are at an impasse,” and that they “have little choice but to explore alternatives to Comcast,” according to the attorney as reported by Minneapolis Star-Tribune sports reporter Phil Miller. Law360.com reports Diamond had reached a multiyear deal with fuboTV to carry its RSNs.
Atlanta Braves fans who are subscribers of Comcast have been left with a no Braves baseball and an explanation of Comcast’s side of the conflict on their screens instead. The outage has lasted for most of the season so far, leaving frustrated fans looking for scarce alternatives. Bally is currently on Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and their own OTT app.
Diamond is in the process of emerging from bankruptcy but previous reports say MLB and other sports leagues that do business with Diamond are getting tired of the impasse which is keeping fans from seeing their favorite teams on TV and want the courts to take action on the situation.
Diamond Sports Group is jointly owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Allen Media Group.