Minnesota Twins Could Head Back to Bally Sports North in 2024 Despite Severing Agreement Last Month
A new report suggests the Twins have been in contact with Diamond Sports Group about a potential reunion for the upcoming year.
It seems like the baseball offseason just started, and yet there are only seven weeks left until MLB players report for spring training. That’s why the Minnesota Twins are running out of time to find a new local broadcast partner; the Twins left the Bally Sports North regional sports network (RSN) following the end of the 2023 season, but a new report indicates they may be back with that channel in 2024.
- The Minnesota Star Tribune reports the Twins and Bally Sports North have officially held discussions about a reunion.
- The unofficial deadline for any new deal is Jan. 10, when Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports Group is due back in bankruptcy court.
- Diamond has the framework for a broadcast deal for 2024 in place with nine of the remaining 11 MLB teams whose broadcast rights it holds.
Why Would the Twins Come Back to Bally Sports North?
The Twins were on Bally Sports North for the entirety of the 2023 season, despite a missed payment from the company, which said in bankruptcy court its deal with the team cost it more money than it made. The team’s deal with Bally Sports North expired after the end of the season, and the team went looking for new broadcast partners.
But as January approaches, the Twins are no closer to locking down a local broadcaster to distribute their games in 2024. That’s why the Minnesota Star Tribune reports the team has held talks with Bally Sports North about a reunion for the 2024 season. Twins play-by-play man Cory Provus says that arrangement would at least provide fans with some clarity as to where they’ll see games next season.
“As this drags on, it seems clear there is a path to going back to Bally, if only for just one more year,” Provus told the Tribune. “I’m not privy to any of the negotiations, nothing like that, but it feels like we’re stuck in place while we wait for resolution. I understand fans’ frustration with that uncertainty. I feel it too.”
That’s the main reason the Twins have re-engaged with Diamond: clarity. They will likely have to take less money from Bally Sports North for the season if they choose to stay with that channel, but at this point, their only other option seems to be to allow MLB to produce and distribute the team’s games itself.
What’s the Status of Bally Sports Channels?
Bally Sports RSNs and their parent company Diamond Sports Group are still in bankruptcy court. The company has been following through with a strategy of shoring itself up in the short term, agreeing to deals with the NBA and NHL to pay those leagues less for their broadcast rights, and in exchange it will send those rights back to the leagues after the current season ends.
MLB also has had productive discussions with DSG, which has agreed to make full rights payments to nine of the 11 teams it still broadcasts. The Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are still negotiating a smaller rights fee for 2024, and it’s expected the company will present its full plans for the league during a Jan. 10 court hearing.
If Diamond can shore itself up in the short term, it’s possible it could find a long-term solution for its survival as well. Recent reports indicate Amazon has held discussions with DSG about investing in the company, and that the company’s deep pockets could be the salvation of Bally Sports channels.
The Jan. 10 hearing is seen as the unofficial deadline for a new deal between Bally Sports North and the Minnesota Twins. If the two sides do not come to a new agreement by then, it seems likely the team will see its games produced and distributed on cable by Major League Baseball in 2024.