Sports
Red Wings, Pistons staying on Bally Sports Detroit for at least 2024-25
Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of the Bally Sports stable of regional sports networks, has reached an agreement to continue broadcasting more than 20 NHL and NBA teams on linear television through the 2024-25 seasons in a move that is considered a critical development as the company looks to emerge from bankruptcy court.
The agreement includes the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons, which will continue to have their games air on Bally Sports Detroit and through the Bally Sports-Plus app.
The agreement was announced Friday and confirmed by Bally Sports Detroit.
“We are appreciative of the ongoing collaboration and long-term partnerships with the NBA and NHL,” David Preschlack, CEO of the Diamond Sports Group, said in a statement. “These new agreements that cover NBA and NHL linear and DTC (direct-to-consumer) rights are another major milestone and continue Diamond’s momentum toward emergence (from bankruptcy), which will enable us to provide value for our NBA and NHL partners and continue to serve dedicated local NBA, NHL and MLB fans.
“Having completed negotiations with key partners that provide certainty around our content and distribution, Diamond is well positioned for the future.
“We appreciate the support of our creditors, we are focused on finalizing our reorganization plan to support our emergence and presenting that plan to the Court in due course.”
Friday’s announcement does not include Major League Baseball, whose teams under contract with Bally are covered through the end of the 2024 season, including the Tigers. The long-term future of a Bally-MLB partnership remains uncertain. Critical financial details of the NHL and NBA agreements were not disclosed, but it’s expected many of the teams will see a significant cut in rights fees, including the Pistons, and possibly the Red Wings.
Friday’s announcement covers nine NHL teams and 13 NBA teams, with Diamond Sports Group looking to eliminate its deals with the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Diamond Sports Group has deals with 11 MLB teams.
Sinclair Broadcast Group bought 21 RSNs from the Walt Disney Company for nearly $10 billion in 2019, just as the market was starting to crash on cable companies, thanks, in large part, to streaming options and cord-cutting. Diamond Sports Group, the subsidiary created to cover the stable of Bally Sports RSNs, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2023, citing more than $8 billion in debt.
The agreements with the NHL and NBA are the latest perceived positive steps toward Diamond emerging from bankruptcy, along with deals with the nation’s top cable providers, including Comcast (Xfinity) late last month. Diamond Sports Group also has secured Amazon as an investor, to begin streaming games in the future, though it’s unclear when.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
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