Comcast, Diamond Sports Group End Monthslong Blackout, but Customers to Pay More for Channels
Comcast, Diamond Sports Group End Monthslong Blackout, but Customers to Pay More for Channels
Bally Sports channels will be restored for Xfinity TV customers later this week.
The wait is over, Comcast subscribers! Bally Sports channels have been unavailable to watch on Comcast’s Xfinity TV service since the end of April, when a carriage dispute between the two knocked the channels off of the air. However, Comcast and Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports Group have announced that they had reached a new carriage deal that will restore the regional sports networks for Xfinity TV customers, ending the dispute and allowing Diamond to try to continue with its plan to emerge from bankruptcy. While that is a bit of good news for sport-loving Xfinity subscribers, there is bad news as well.
Key Details:
- Bally Sports channels will be moved off the cheapest tier of Xfinity TV service.
- The channels will be available again starting Aug. 1.
- Diamond is still trying to work out long-term deals with the NHL and NBA.
The new deal sees Comcast win out on its most strident demand since negotiations began, that the Bally Sports channels be moved off of the base subscription plan to a more expensive tier of Xfinity TV service. Previously, the channels were found in its base TV plan, which starts at around $50 per month — depending on the area — not including taxes and fees. Now, the channels will cost between $60 and $85 per month to watch on the Xfinity TV Ultimate plan.
Diamond long fought against this shift, but Comcast held firm. After a letter from Diamond which tried to lay the blame for the dispute at Comcast’s feet in May, the internet and TV distributor said that 70% of its customers did not watch Bally Sports channels, and there was no sense in forcing all of its 13-million-plus subscribers to pay for them when so many weren’t actually tuning in.
The two sides were first reported to be closing in on a deal last week. Viewers will see the channels restored on Thursday, Aug. 1, allowing them access to MLB regular season games once again in areas where the local team partners with a Bally Sports channel. Games were still available on the Bally Sports+ streaming service during the blackout, but the service only carries streaming rights to five MLB clubs and costs $19.99 per month.
“We appreciate Diamond Sports working with us to reach a solution that returns the Bally Sports RSNs to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports,” Comcast’s president of content acquisition Greg Rigdon said. “We look forward to making these networks available on August 1, so customers can enjoy watching their favorite teams again.”
The timing of this deal is noteworthy as DSG has been in bankruptcy proceedings for approaching a year and a half and is quickly approaching court-ordered deadlines to submit a reorganization plan. How the plan is received by Diamond’s creditors — primarily the leagues that it partners with — will ultimately determine whether the company emerges from bankruptcy or is forced to liquidate. As one of the country’s largest channel distributors, Comcast had to be a part of DSG’s plan, or there was no hope for the future of the regional sports networks.
“Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity,” Diamond CEO David Preschlack said. “With certainty on our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA. We are mindful that time is of the essence with basketball and hockey seasons fast approaching, and once agreements with our team and league partners are complete, we intend to move expeditiously to present a plan of reorganization to the Court.”
Bally Sports channels are also available to stream live on Fubo, as well as on DIRECTV STREAM’s CHOICE package. The broadcaster partners with 12 MLB clubs, 15 NBA teams, and nine NHL squads at present, though it could decide to surrender more of these broadcast rights if it feels they cost the company more money than they bring in.
Bally Sports+
Bally Sports+ was a direct-to-consumer streaming service that provided live, in-market games without requiring a cable or satellite subscription. It allowed fans to watch their local Bally Sports regional sports network (RSN) without a traditional TV package.