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Breaking: Amazon Invests in Diamond Sports Group; Prime Video to Become Home of Bally Sports+

Breaking: Amazon Invests in Diamond Sports Group; Prime Video to Become Home of Bally Sports+

The deal also includes a $495 million settlement with Sinclair Broadcasting that will aid in emerging from bankruptcy.

With a background in sports and entertainment reporting, he’s covered everything from Broadway to college football. He cut the cord in 2014 and has a sharp eye for streaming trends and a soft spot for Hallmark movies.

For the past 10 months, Diamond Sports Group (DSG) has been attempting to navigate bankruptcy proceedings with increasingly dire prospects for a successful resolution. The company that owns all of the Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs) and the sports streaming service Bally Sports+ has gone through a painful process of losing team broadcast rights that has led it to the precipice of closing down at the end of the current and upcoming MLB, NBA, and NHL seasons. But on Wednesday, it was announced that Amazon would become a minority investor in the company, aiding in a deal with DSG’s debtors. In return, Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform will become the primary home for Bally Sports+.

  • With its investment, Amazon’s Prime Video will become the primary provider for Bally Sports+.
  • Diamond Sports agreed to a $495 million settlement with parent company Sinclair Broadcasting.
  • The plan is intended to not only help Diamond emerge from bankruptcy but to allow it to continue operating beyond its current contracts.

The possibility of Amazon becoming involved with DSG was first reported last month, but last week, it appeared that Major League Baseball, as one of the company’s holding DSG debt, had declined the proposal, putting it in jeopardy. Additionally, “Diamond’s key creditors” have agreed to the restructuring that “will be the foundation of the reorganization plan to facilitate Diamond’s emergence from bankruptcy as a going concern,” but it is not clear if MLB is on board.

The terms of Amazon’s investment in DSG were not disclosed, but some of the financial details for the rest of the bankruptcy resolution have been reported. Sinclair Broadcasting Group (SBG), which is ostensibly DSG’s parent company, will pay the subsidiary $495 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that Sinclair funneled $1.5 billion away from the sports streamer that would have kept it solvent.

Diamond will also raise an additional $450 million to help pay off the $350 million that owes its lienholders and has earned agreement from debtors to permit ongoing financing once the company has exited bankruptcy proceedings. DSG is hoping that the new plan will allow the company to continue beyond its current deals with leagues that extend through the 2024 seasons.

“We are thrilled to have reached a comprehensive restructuring agreement that provides a detailed framework for a reorganization plan and substantial new financing that will enable Diamond to operate and thrive beyond 2024,” DSG CEO David Preschlack said. “We are grateful for the support from Amazon and a group of our largest creditors who clearly believe in the value-creating potential of this business. Diamond’s near-term focus will be on implementing the RSA and emerging from bankruptcy as a going concern for the benefit of our investors, our employees, our team, league and distribution partners, and the millions of fans who will continue to enjoy our broadcasts.”

As Prime Video becomes the main distribution partner for Bally Sports+, Diamond’s live MLB, NBA, and NHL games, including all pre and post-game coverage, will be available via [Prime Video Channels][Amazon Prime Video $], however, DSG did not confirm when its direct-to-consumer (DTC) service would be available on the platform, or if it would continue to be available for $19.99 per month.

In terms of the company’s linear channels, no change is expected at this time, so fans will be able to continue watching Bally Sports action on cable, satellite, and live TV streaming platforms at least through the end of the current NBA and NHL seasons, as well as the upcoming MLB campaign.

  • Prime Video

    Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.

    …

    Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime for $14.99 per month ($139 per year), or can be purchased on its own for $8.99 per month. A standalone, ad-supported version costs $8.99 per month, while the upgraded Prime Video Ultra tier, costing an extra $4.99 per month or $45.99 per year, adds Dolby Atmos support, ups video quality to 4K UHD, removes ads, and allows for 100 downloads and 5 simultaneous streams. Prime Video offers a 30-day free trial.

    Prime Video currently offers over 25,000 movies and TV episodes, many of which are original productions. Live sports coverage includes NFL Thursday Night Football as well as select NBA, WNBA, and NWSL events.

  • 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.

    …

    The service offered two subscription options: a monthly plan for $19.99 per month or an annual plan for $189.99 per year, which averaged out to $15.83 per month when prepaid annually. New users could start with a 7-day free trial. In areas with more than one Bally Sports network, subscribers could add a second channel for $29.99 per month.

    With Bally Sports+, fans could stream live games from 16 NBA teams and 11 NHL teams. Five Major League Baseball teams — the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and Tampa Bay Rays — were also available for streaming.

    Bally Sports+ was designed specifically for fans who lived in-market for their local teams. If you lived outside your team’s market, you would have subscribed to alternative services such as MLB.TV for Major League Baseball, NHL.TV via ESPN+ for National Hockey League games or NBA League Pass for National Basketball Association coverage.


Matt Tamanini is the News Editor at The Streamable, where he oversees daily news coverage and editorial strategy, with a particular focus on breaking stories, streaming comparisons, and major industry events. A well-rounded journalist with a diverse background, Matt joined The Streamable in 2022 after holding key editorial roles at several high-profile outlets. He has an extensive career in sports and entertainment journalism, having served as a senior editor for BroadwayWorld, the world’s largest theater website, and as managing editor for Land-Grant Holy Land, which covers Ohio State sports.

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