It’s been months now since Bally Sports was removed from Comcast Xfinity TV service. Today, Comcast announced that it has reached a deal that will see Bally Sports RSNs owned by Diamond Sports Group added back to Xfinity customers on August 1st, 2024.
The catch, though, is you will need to be an Xfinity Ultimate TV customer to get this package, making it more expensive than it was in the past. This may mean some Xfinity Customers will need to upgrade to the higher package in order to watch Bally Sports.
David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond Sports stated, “Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity. With certainty on our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA. We are mindful that time is of the essence with basketball and hockey seasons fast approaching, and once agreements with our team and league partners are complete, we intend to move expeditiously to present a plan of reorganization to the Court.”
“We appreciate Diamond Sports working with us to reach a solution that returns the Bally Sports RSNs to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports,” said Greg Rigdon, President of Content Acquisition for Comcast. “We look forward to making these networks available on August 1, so customers can enjoy watching their favorite teams again.”
This comes as Bally Sports has to find a way out of bankruptcy. This move with Comcast was needed to make a go-forward plan to exit bankruptcy possible. The question is, will being on the Unlimited TV package be enough to save it?
Update: We updated this story with information about the delay in the July hearing.