Bally Sports regional network shuts down for Comcast cable customers | Wilnesh News

Comcast On Wednesday, customers were unable to access Bally Sports’ regional network after a month MLB regular season.

Earlier Wednesday, fans of 11 Major League Baseball teams, including the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins, were unable to access networks that broadcast local games. With the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, fans of teams in these leagues won’t feel the impact until next season if the blackout continues.

Negotiations between Comcast and Bally Sports operator Diamond Sports Group have broken down over a dispute over terms. Comcast provides cable and Internet services under the Xfinity brand.

The outage marks another sore point for the region’s sports network business, which is under pressure as consumers cut pay-TV subscriptions in favor of streaming.

A spokesman for Diamond said in a statement Tuesday that Comcast “refuses to engage in substantive discussions,” even though Diamond offered terms similar to those reached by other publishers.

“We are a fan-first company and will continue to pursue an agreement with Comcast to resume broadcasts. At this critical time for Diamond, we hope Comcast will recognize the role Diamond and RSN play in the media ecosystem.” play an important and mutually beneficial role,” Diamond spokesperson stated in the statement.

Diamond’s agreement with Comcast expired in the fall, but the companies agreed to a six-month extension at the time. A Comcast spokesman said in a statement that Diamond had the authority to extend the agreement for one year, “but they chose not to exercise that right.”

“We wanted to continue operating their network, but they rejected multiple offers and now we no longer own the rights to the show,” the statement read. Comcast said it would provide affected customers with $8 to $10 credit.

Later Tuesday, Diamond said Comcast “rejected the offer to extend the channel.” The proposal would be open-ended and would keep the network on the air while negotiations continue to sign a multi-year deal, a person familiar with the matter said.

The discussion centered around how Comcast is quickly moving its Bally Sports Network to a tiered model, meaning customers will have to choose packages that include higher-rate channels rather than having them included in a broader cable package. middle.

Pay-TV distributors have been losing customers at a rapid rate in recent years as they opt for cheaper streaming options. Comcast, which had more than 13.6 million pay-TV customers as of March 31, lost 487,000 subscribers in the first quarter.

Some regional sports networks have begun offering streaming options to customers at prices that don’t disrupt the pay-TV model. Diamond owns streaming rights to five MLB teams that Comcast lost service to.

Shipping agreements with dealers are considered key to ensuring Diamond’s viable business plan and future.In addition to Comcast, Diamond has also been in talks in recent weeks and Chartered Communications — Provides pay television services under the Spectrum brand — DirecTV and Cox Communications.

Diamond has been sign Signed multi-year agreement with Charter Cox. Wednesday, DirecTV explain It also reached an agreement with Diamond to continue operating the network. The deals extend the terms of the current agreement and move to a tiered model over time, people familiar with the matter said.

And diamonds are bundled with internet tv Fubo TV Bally Sports Network also signed a multi-year deal in December, but other major IPTV providers were absent, such as Google’YouTube TV and disneyHulu+ Live TV.

Diamond filed for bankruptcy last March. It has since rejected broadcast rights deals with some teams, including Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, which signed a deal to broadcast games on local radio stations.

The largest regional sports network operator hopes to emerge from bankruptcy and be taken over by creditors in the coming months, with a hearing in June to confirm its restructuring plan.

Revealed: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.