One of the biggest stories in cord cutting and TV as a whole right now is the fate of Regional Sports Networks, also known as RSNs. AT&T SportsNets has announced plans to shut down soon, and Bally Sports RSNs has declared bankruptcy. This has left many to wonder if Bally Sports and AT&T SportsNets will soon shut down.
So what is happening with RSNs, and will they soon be shutting down? In this Ask Luke, we will be diving into when and if Bally Sports and AT&T SportsNets will be shutting down.
First, let me explain this new Ask Luke series. We often get the same questions repeated from multiple people. When we see that happen, we will post them here as part of an Ask Luke series. This gives me (Luke) and the Cord Cutters News staff an opportunity to answer common questions for everyone to see.
If you have a question feel free to email us HERE with your questions.
Luke’s answer to if Bally Sports & SportsNets RSNs will shutdown soon:
Bally Sports and AT&T SportsNets air most local broadcasts of NBC, NHL, and MLB games in the United States. For millions of fans, these RSNs are how they watch their favorite teams. Now there is a real question if they will still be airing the games soon.
AT&T SportsNet shutting down?
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company behind AT&T SportsNet has confirmed that they intend to shut down their RSNs. They are reportedly working with MLB, NBA, and NHL to transfer the rights to the teams allowing them to stream the games in market or find new partners to replace AT&T SportsNets.
Currently, it only looks like one AT&T SportsNet may be saved as the Houston Rockets, and Astros have reportedly started talks to buy AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery.
Look for AT&T SportsNets to shut down as soon as this month.
Bally Sports Shutting Down?
Back in February, Diamond Sports, the parent company behind Bally Sports, filed for bankruptcy. Diamond Sports has repeatedly said they plan to go through bankruptcy and come out on the other end as they entered bankruptcy. This means for now that Bally Sports hopes to keep rights to MLB, NBA, and NHL games.
Bankruptcy can take a long time to go through, especially when it is for something as large as Bally Sports. It has been reported that NBA has a possible out of its contract with Diamond Sports but for now, MLB, NBA, and NHL have all said they hope Bally Sports will continue to air their games and, more importantly, pay them the money owed to the sports teams.
For now, there is a lot of questions about the future of Bally Sports. Most importantly, will they be able to work out a deal to restructure their deals with the MLB, NBA, and NHL that lets them keep the rights to those teams. It is very possible that one or more teams will pull their rights from Bally Sports as they will be unwilling to renegotiate their contracts with Bally Sports.
For now, with Bally Sports, the future is unknown, but in the short term, don’t expect any changes to what games are airing on Bally Sports.
Final Thoughts:
Anything can happen during bankruptcy, for now, we have to wait and see what the Judge and creditors are willing to do with Bally Sport’s debts. What we do know is that this won’t be a quick process and could take years if creditors try to drag this out.