Regardless of whether it successfully emerges from the bank, Diamond Sports Group, which publishes the Bally sports network, promises to be active in the 2024-25 NBA and NHL seasons.
Diamond Sports on Friday said it has reached agreements with both leagues and that as part of the basketball deal, the broadcaster is withdrawing from contracts with two teams: the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans were already known to have made broadcast arrangements elsewhere for the 2024-25 season.
The deals need to be approved by a federal bankruptcy judge, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 3. The terms of the contract in both groups have also been changed, possibly with some reduction in royalties, but no specific dollar figures were disclosed in court documents. Friday. The filing that covers the NBA has since the Mavs’ departure with the Pelicans is a joint agreement with Diamond.
“We have reached a new agreement with Diamond Sports Group for the 2024-25 season where Diamond RSN will broadcast home games for 13 NBA teams,” the NBA said in a statement. “The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans have declined to continue distributing their games on Diamond RSNs and will soon share more information about how to watch next season’s games in their respective markets. This new agreement is subject to approval of the banking court.”
Diamond would now host 13 NBA teams and nine NHL teams for the 2024-25 league season. If Diamond comes out of bankruptcy, both the NBA and NHL have agreed to terms that will go beyond 2024-25 as well. However, the fact that everything is still there, it is still a question of how long Diamond works, and when it will be solved.
For Diamond to emerge from bankruptcy, it needs to hold a confirmation hearing where a judge approves the plan. Another was planned for late July but was pushed back when Diamond said it needed to make major changes to its plan. A new date has not yet been announced. (Diamond on Friday unveiled a new arrangement with some of its key creditors that set Oct. 1 and Nov. 15 as key performance dates.)
Diamond and Comcast have been locked in a nearly three-month-long dispute this summer, a battle that kept Diamond’s channels out of Comcast Xfinity subscribers’ homes right in the middle of the Major League Baseball season. The Diamond broadcasts to twelve MLB teams, as well.
Diamond and Comcast struck a deal that brought back the games in early August, but the deal just put Diamond’s channels on hold for Comcast subscribers — meaning, customers must pay a monthly fee to get them.
How the economics of Comcast’s new deal affect Diamond remains to be seen, but it could have a dramatic impact. Diamond has preferred country provisions in its agreements with various suppliers, such as Comcast, which promise that the distributor awarded to Diamond will change its agreement if it offers someone else a better deal. The contract language is not public, however, it is not known what Diamond’s Comcast deal means for Diamond’s overall image.
Bally Sports reporter Kristina Pink talks to James Harden on December 6, 2023. (Kirby Lee/USA Today)
David Preschlack, Diamond’s CEO, put Friday’s news right.
“We value the continued partnership and long-term partnership with the NBA and NHL,” Preschlack said in a statement. “These new agreements that affect the NBA and NHL linear and (direct to consumers) are another important point and continue the power of Diamond to stand out, which will help us to provide value to our partners of the NBA and NHL and continue to serve dedicated local NBA, NHL and MLB fans.
“Having completed negotiations with key partners who provide the certainty of our content and our distribution, Diamond is well positioned for the future. With the support of our creditors, we are focused on completing our strategic plan to support our emergence and present the plan to the court in due course.”
In a way, Diamond’s new deals with hockey and basketball put the spotlight back on MLB, which is unsure if Diamond will work for its 2025 season. MLB declined to comment on Friday.
Baseball doesn’t have a big deal with the Diamond the way the NBA and NHL do. MLB and Diamond have recently discussed such an arrangement, a person briefed on the talks said, but it is not known if there is much action. Diamond’s relationship with MLB has been the most contentious throughout the bankruptcy process, which began in early 2023. Part of the issue is how the two sides value MLB’s streaming rights.
Only five of Diamond’s twelve televised teams were also available to watch on Diamond’s streaming package, Bally Sports+. The more options players have, the easier it is to have time to watch the games. But MLB and Diamond don’t see eye to eye on the value of those broadcast rights.
With the Mavs and Pelicans out, the 13 NBA Diamond teams are Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Magic Thunder , Oklahoma City Thunder. and the San Antonio Spurs.
Nine NHL teams: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Pelicans reportedly have an agreement that will air next season, on WVUE-TV.
(Top photo from the American Airlines Center in Dallas: Jerome Miron/USA Today)
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