Major League Baseball has announced that it will be taking over the production and distribution of Arizona Diamondbacks games from Bally Sports Arizona. This decision comes after Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports Arizona, missed its most recent payment to the Diamondbacks. The two sides had been in discussions to find a solution, but ultimately, MLB stepped in.
Starting immediately, fans can catch Diamondbacks games on various channels such as Cox, DirectTV, Spectrum, and Xfinity. The games will also be available on streaming platforms like Fubo and DirecTV stream. This change means that fans in the Diamondbacks’ home television territory, which includes Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of southern Nevada, will now have access to games on MLB.TV. They can subscribe for $19.99 per month or $54.99 for the remainder of the season.
This move will significantly increase the number of homes that can watch Diamondbacks games. Previously, only around 930,000 homes had access, but now it will be available in approximately 5.6 million homes. The Diamondbacks’ broadcasters will continue in their current roles, ensuring a seamless transition.
Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall expressed excitement about the partnership with MLB, stating that it will provide unprecedented access to the team and remove local blackouts that have frustrated fans for years. He thanked Bally Sports Arizona for their longtime partnership but looks forward to expanding reach and providing high-quality broadcasts.
This is not the first time Bally Sports has lost broadcasting rights. They previously lost the rights to Padres broadcasts and Phoenix Suns games. These issues stem from financial struggles faced by Diamond Sports Group, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year.
While MLB has promised to provide at least 80% of the money owed to impacted clubs this season, the Diamondbacks could still face a significant shortfall of $15 million. The club’s finances beyond this season remain uncertain.
In a statement, Diamond Sports Group expressed their disappointment in not reaching an agreement with the Diamondbacks and MLB. They have rejected the rights contract and will no longer be broadcasting Diamondbacks games. However, they assured fans that they will continue to broadcast games for all other teams under contract without disruption and will make all rights payments to the remaining MLB teams in their portfolio through the end of the season.
