Bally Sports North Lives on… For Now

No, the Minnesota Twins did not play on Apple TV+, Friday night, because Diamond Sports Group (Bally Sports) finally went out of business. In fact, quite the opposite was announced this afternoon.

Bally Sports North re-ups as TV home to the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves

Instead of closing up shop, DSG has reportedly inked a new deal with the NBA and NHL. According to reports, it will make Bally Sports North the television home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild, for at least one more season. Technically, the new contract still has to be approved by a judge.

Diamond Sports has reached deals with the NBA and NHL, deals it has said for a while it was closing in on. There's a hearing scheduled for Sept. 3 where, presumably, we'll get some sort of overall update on the bankruptcy process.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) August 23, 2024

Not every team under the Bally Sports umbrella will continue forward. The Wolves and Wild remain on BSN, but the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans will not. This new deal doesn’t guarantee Diamond Sports Group’s emergence from bankruptcy, but it certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.

Per this new agreement, even if DSG were to shut down operations in the middle of the winter sports season, Bally Sports network would be contractually obligated to finish out these newly inked contracts with the NBA and NHL. The deal does not have any effect on MLB or the Minnesota Twins.

In a way, Diamond’s new agreements with hockey and basketball throw the spotlight back on MLB, which does not have certainty as to whether Diamond will operate for its 2025 season. MLB declined comment Friday.

Evan Drellich – The Athletic

What does this mean for Minnesota sports fans?

Many local Minnesota sports fans were hoping this wouldn’t happen, especially after reports dropped a couple weeks ago that local television stations were waiting to make bids on TV rights, which may have allowed free over-the-air games for anyone with an antenna.

Related: MN Local TV Stations in Contact with Twins, Wild and Timberwolves

But, at least for now, that will not happen. The Twins will finish out their 2024 regular season on Bally Sports North. Then, in a couple of months, that’s where the Wolves and Wild games will be, as well. Remember, cord cutters can still subscribe to BSN on Fubo TV (7-day free trial).

Unlike with Twins games, fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild will also be able to purchase a stream-only package that will cover both teams this winter, through the Bally Sports app. No additional cable or streaming package will be necessary for those two teams.