Last week we learned that Bally Sports will not be airing the 2022-2025 season of the Dallas Stars NHL team. Diamond Spots Group and Dallas Stars have agreed to end their contracts and go their own ways. The contract was originally meant to run for almost another year and through the 2024-2025 season. Now instead the team will end its contract a season early.
It’s being reported that the Stars will follow other professional teams in switching to free over-the-air TV. At this time no new deal has been announced.
What was just announced is a partnership with Victory+ streaming service to offer a free stream to North Texas residents who want to watch the Stars play online. The app will be on smart phones, iOS, Android and more in September 2024.
“After years of researching the right solution and careful planning with our partners at APMC, we’re proud to announce this pioneering streaming platform that will literally change the game for sports distribution on VICTORY+,” said Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts. “Our first priority has always been our fan base, and on VICTORY+ fans will be able to stream 100 percent of Stars content for free through this innovative and unique streaming platform for sports programming. Despite the mutual agreement between the Dallas Stars and Diamond Sports Group to end our current relationship pending court approval, we would like to acknowledge that we wouldn’t be here today without the partnership and commitment of Bally Sports and their staff over the past 25 years and thank them for their partnership.”
If you live outside of the team’s home market, you will need to pay for the games through the NHL streaming service. Nationally aired games will not be offered on the streaming service.
Late last month Bally Sports vanished from another cable TV company. Almost two months ago Comcast dropped Bally Sports and Now Optimum TV has also dropped bally sports.
“Despite our best efforts and continued flexibility to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, Diamond Sports Group continues to seek unsustainable demands that would raise our customers’ TV bills and, as a result, Bally Sports Networks has been removed from Optimum TV lineups. We do not believe it is fair for Diamond Sports Group to ask customers to pay high rates for their channels when they are still negotiating content rights with various sports leagues and do not yet know what content will be available to their viewers.
This comes as Bally Sports is facing a deadline of later this month to find a go forward plan to get out of bankruptcy. With out Comcast and now Optimum TV many of Diamond Sports Group the owner of Bally Sports partners are getting concerned about the ability for the company to keep going.
Last May MLB, NHL, and the NBA said in court they worry about Comcast harming Bally Sports’ plans to restructure and exit bankruptcy. MLB went as far as to say that Bally Sports has been “an undependable partner” and that Comcast dropping Bally Sports has hurt the MLB according to Bloomberg. This has forced the MLB to set up an alternate broadcast option for Comcast subscribers.
Also in the hearing last month, NHL attorney Shana Elberg said the league needs answers now about the future of Bally Sports RSNs. “We have told the debtors unequivocally that we need to get clarity on certain outstanding matters this week,” she said according to the StarTribune.
So the question now is how concerned is the MLB, NHL, and NBA now that a second major cable TV company has dropped bally sports.
In a statement to customers Optimum TV said:
At Optimum, we love sports and our local teams, but it is anti-consumer of Diamond Sports Group to request excessive fees while they are in active bankruptcy proceedings and content rights negotiations. We remain open to negotiations with Diamond Sports Group to return their content to Optimum TV lineups, and in the meantime, we are continuing to put our customers first by offering solutions to those viewers who want to continue watching games being aired on Bally Sports Networks. For more information, customers can visit optimum.com/ballysports or call 888-822-5151.”