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Nashville Predators exploring TV options for 2024-25 amid Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy | Source

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Nashville Predators exploring TV options for 2024-25 amid Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy | Source

With Diamond Sports Group in bankruptcy proceedings, the Nashville Predators are seeking TV options for 2024-25 and beyond in case their rights-holder is unable to carry games, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports and the current rights-holder for Predators games, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March after failing to make a $140 million interest payment to lenders.

This action sent regional carriage agreements into chaos – Comcast/Xfinity pulled Bally Sports from its lineup on May 1, as many Predators fans may remember.

One option for the Predators includes broadcasting on a free, over-the-air station in Nashville, according to the source.

If Bally Sports is unable to carry Predators games next season – and if the Predators are able to find a local partner – anyone in the Nashville broadcast area could watch Predators games for free.

The source said another option is the direct-to-consumer model, where fans could pay a subscription fee to stream Predators games on their devices. The Vegas Golden Knights launched a direct-to-consumer option in 2023, called “KnightTime+”, where fans can subscribe to watch non-nationally televised Golden Knights games. The Golden Knights also broadcast on a local, over-the-air station, giving their fans two options to watch games.

The Seattle Kraken have a similar model, offering local broadcasts on over-the-air stations, as well as streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Predators could follow suit, giving fans both a free, over-the-air broadcast and a direct-to-consumer paid option for non-local fans.

OUTAGE: How to watch Nashville Predators games on Bally Sports during Comcast Xfinity outage

Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy proceeding is supposed to conclude by July 29. Any news relating to the Predators’ TV options for next season won’t come until after that date.

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