The Texas Rangers could be back on the air for Comcast subscribers soon.
Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports Southwest, appears to have a deal with Comcast nearly complete, according to a report from The Athletic.
In May, Comcast blacked out 15 regional sports networks offered by Bally Sports because of a contract dispute. In addition to the Rangers, MLB teams affected by the blackout are the Atlanta Braves, the the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, the Detroit Tigers, the Kansas City Royals, the Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Minnesota Twins, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Diamond Sports Group, which has been working to emerge from bankruptcy since last year, called the blackout “disappointing” and blamed Comcast for refusing to “engage in substantive discussions.”
Comcast, meanwhile, said Diamond has declined several offers, such as allowing Diamond to unilaterally renew its existing agreement with Comcast for a year. It said it will credit its customers for the costs associated with the blacked-out broadcasts, saying that most will automatically receive monthly credits of $8 to $10.
The Comcast blackout currently only affects baseball games, but if it stretches on long enough, other sports could be affected. Diamond, for instance, holds the pay-TV rights to games played by 38 teams across the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and MLB.
In February, Diamond reached a deal for Bally Sports Southwest to broadcast Rangers games through 2024.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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