SOUTHPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diamond Sports Group (“Diamond” or the “Company”) today issued an open letter to sports fans and Comcast Xfinity subscribers who lost access Diamond’s Bally Sports regional networks as of May 1, 2024 and are unable to watch their favorite teams.
Comcast Xfinity has refused to engage with Diamond around market-based renewal terms equivalent to what Diamond agreed to with its two largest distribution partners. Comcast Xfinity has even refused to implement a short-term, risk-free extension that would have enabled fans to continue watching their teams on Bally Sports during negotiations.
Diamond believes Comcast Xfinity’s extreme stance is hurting fans, leagues and teams. Diamond is urging Xfinity subscribers to make their voices heard:
Dear Sports Fans,
Comcast Xfinity recently pulled the plug on our networks despite our best efforts to reach a mutually beneficial distribution deal. Their refusal to broadcast games while we continue the conversation is disappointing for many reasons, but above all because it hurts you, the fans, and the sports media industry at large. We appreciate that sports rights are confusing – and the industry is evolving in a way that is not always prioritizing the fans. This letter is an effort for us to be honest and transparent with you.
Bally Sports isn’t just a local sports network; it brings you, the fans, closer to your favorite local teams and talent, delivering shared memories, night after night. And it's not just the fans who are directly impacted – the teams and leagues with whom we have built relationships for decades are hurt by this as well.
Bottom line, Xfinity’s current proposal will immediately put Bally Sports on a tier requiring you to pay more to see your favorite teams. This matter is not an attempt to ask Xfinity for more money. In fact, we are just asking them to accept market terms, similar to what Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM all did just last month.
Our goal? Reach a deal and get your local teams back on air. Sadly, Xfinity hasn’t been willing to engage in meaningful discussions, nor will they put the channels back on while we continue to work through this. We’re not giving up, though. We want to make this work with Xfinity and hope that they recognize the crucial role Bally Sports plays in serving local sports fans. The stakes are high. Millions of our customers who enjoy the games we broadcast are already being left in the dark.
Now we’re turning to you, the fans. Raise your voices, let Xfinity know you want your teams back on the air. Tell them to do right by the fans. After all, you are the ones who pay to make it happen. Your opinion matters.
The letter and more information can be found online at www.SaveOurLocalTeams.com.
About Diamond Sports Group
Diamond Sports Group LLC, an independently-managed and unconsolidated subsidiary of Sinclair Inc., owns the Bally Sports Regional Sports Networks (RSNs), the nation’s leading provider of local sports. Its 18 owned-and-operated RSNs include Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West, and Bally Sports Wisconsin. The Bally Sports RSNs serve as the TV home to nearly half of all MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States. Diamond Sports Group also has a joint venture in Marquee, the home of the Chicago Cubs, and a minority interest in the YES Network, the local destination for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets. Diamond RSNs produce over 4,000 live local professional telecasts each year in addition to a wide variety of locally produced sports events and programs.