It has been a busy week for MLB teams. Earlier this week, Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports, let the deadline to pay the Padres pass and decided to return the media rights back to the MLB. Now Bally Sports has been ordered to make full payments to nine MLB teams that it owes money to. If they fail to pay, they will forfeit TV rights to nine more teams.
This comes as the Judge overseeing Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy has ordered Bally Sports to make full payments to all teams that it has held payments on.
If Bally Sports fails to make full payments to the Angels, Braves, Cardinals, D-backs, Guardians, Padres, Rangers, Reds, and Twins MLB teams or they risk losing TV rights to the teams. Bally Sports reportedly has the money on hand but has been asking the teams to agree to allow them to also stream games before making the payments. Now the judge has ruled that they must honor their contract even if they don’t get streaming rights.
Update: there are reports that the Braves have been paid.
Bally Sports now has to decide if they will make payments to all the teams, none of the teams, or just some of the teams. The deadline now is June 7th, 2023 to make the payments. If they fail to do so that team’s TV rights will return to MLB.
If Bally Sports fails to pay these teams there is a plan in place to make sure the games get aired. Earlier this week the MLB announced a partnership with DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo to offer the games streaming in-market for the Padres. Cable subscribers will be able to find the games in market on AT&T U-verse, DIRECTV, COX, and Spectrum for the Padres.
MLB will also sell a streaming service for those who just want access to Padres games in-market. Now for $19.99 a month or $74.99 for the rest of the season for games that would have aired on Bally Sports in the past.
If you live outside of the Padres market you can subscribe to MLB.TV to watch the games just like you have always watched them.
Fans of any teams who lose their Bally Sports contract should expect something similar to what happened for the Padres.
For now, we have to wait and see if Bally Sports will pay the teams or forfeit their TV rights.