Recently we learned that Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports, owned by Sinclair, was preparing for bankruptcy. Now Major League Baseball says it is ready to make ensure fans will be able to continue watching their favorite teams.
This comes from a statement sent to FrontOfficeSports.com in which MLB broke down what they hope happens and their dedication to making sure MLB fans can still see their games.
“Our strong preference would be for the RSNs to be able to fulfill the agreements they signed with the clubs. However, we need to be prepared if the RSNs are unable to do so,” Noah Garden, MLB chief revenue officer, said in a statemnt to Front Office Sports. “This is a situation we have been monitoring for a long time. We have been contingency planning to ensure that no matter what happens with the RSNs, fans will be able to continue watching their favorite teams in their local market.
It may not be a surprise that MLB has been monitoring what has been happening with Bally Sports. Bankruptcy means that Bally Sports could stop millions of dollars in payments to MLB teams. It could also be used as a reason to break their contract with MLB freeing MLB to resell the rights or just offer in-market games directly to consumers through MLB.TV app.
Recently MLB hired a new executive to focus on offering in-market streaming. Breaking free from Bally Sports could help make that a reality.
For now, we will need to wait and see what happens, but 2023 could see big changes in how people watch their favorite sports.