It’s been so frustrating to be a MLB fan this year, and not just because my team is tanking. It’s because many sports fans, including myself, aren’t able to watch their favorite teams on their local cable channel right now, due to botched negotiations between Bally Sports and Comcast/Xfinity.
So, when will the drought end? Thankfully, it appears that the discussions are being more productive. So, they’re getting our hopes up. According to reports, Comcast/Xfinity and Bally Sports are finally closing in on a deal to bring sports back to the cable network.
Bally Sports went dark on the cable service on May 1, so MLB fans who catch the games on cable haven’t been able to watch their local MLB games. Bally Sports also airs NBA and NHL games, so those could be dark this fall, too. But, perhaps the sadness will come to an end soon.
Bally Sports and Comcast/Xfinity Negotiations
Starting on May 1, Bally Sports went dark on Comcast/Xfinity for stations across the country. To this day, if you have Xfinity/Comcast and visit the Bally Sports channel, you’ll get a screen that reads, “Bally Sports is no longer available.” The message continues, “The owner of Bally Sports is in bankruptcy proceedings, and we have offered them multiple options to continue carrying their networks. They have declined each one, and we no longer have the rights to continue carrying their content.” A lot of Comcast/Xfinity customers get the cable network just for sports coverage, so it’s maddening to them. I know a lot of fans really upset.
So, is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Yes. At least, it appears to be the case.
According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, Diamond Sports Group, which is the owner and operator of the Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs), says it’s making “substantial progress” on a new carriage deal with Comcast/Xfinity. Thank God. Diamond Sports Group has also asked for a small delay to a scheduled confirmation plan hearing from Judge Christopher Lopez, which was schedule for next week.
As Gonzalez reports, Diamond attorney Brian Hermann said in court, “We believe that we have made substantial progress on resolving our issues with Comcast, and we have the intention of fully documenting and executing an agreement with Comcast to broadcast our RSNs in the very near term.” I love hearing that they are hoping to come to an agreement in the “very near term.”
Diamond has already made deals with Charter and DirecTV. That happened back in April, so it’s a bit puzzling that these two parties couldn’t come up with an agreement yet. Regardless, let’s hope this sadness all comes to an end soon. I’m a much bigger NBA fan than MLB, so I was worried this situation wouldn’t be resolved by this fall, with the NBA season starts up. Now, it appears they finally have the motivation to make it happen. But, I’ll believe it when I see it. Hopefully it happens with plenty of the MLB season left, too.