Diamond Sports (Bally) Has New Bankruptcy Deadline and No More Amazon

Bally Sports North, Minnesota Twins, Diamond Sports Group

There is almost no facet of the Minnesota Twins business this year that hasn’t been impacted by their television situation. Payroll was slashed, fans were cut out of the equation, and really, it’s just been a massive mess. There is yet another update though.

If you have tried to keep up with the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy situation and feel lost, you’re probably not alone. The Minnesota Twins, along with other major teams including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild, have been twisting in the wind for years, now.

What’s next for Minnesota Twins and Diamond Sports?

But supposedly, next week, we are supposed to get a final resolution. According to Phil Miller of the Star Tribune, a hearing is set for September 3, in Houston. The longtime veteran baseball insider reports that it’s unlikely, though not impossible, that Diamond Sports Group is forced to shut down their Bally Sports regional network, including Bally Sports North.

A hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the Houston courtroom of federal bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez, who will ultimately rule on whether to allow Diamond to implement its new business plan or order the company to shut down.

The latter possibility remains unlikely, especially after Diamond confirmed last week that it has reached agreements with 13 NBA teams and seven NHL teams… in the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Phil Miller on the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy situation (Star Tribune)

How Minnesota Twins games are distributed next season remains a mystery. Of course Minnesota isn’t alone in this scenario. Major League Baseball is seeking a positive outcome. Fans have been drug along through this process, and it has been disappointing, to say the least.

Minnesota Twins have to figure out a better plan forward

Minnesota Twins, Bally Sports North
Credit: Photo: Katie Emmer Storm – @KatieStorm (X)

This offseason, the Minnesota Twins brought Cory Provus into the broadcast booth and had him publicly talk about blackouts ending and streaming options being available. Team President Dave St. Peter put out multiple public statements that now look foolish, in hindsight.

All the promises he and others within the organization made, regarding availability for games in 2024, never happened. Instead, the Twins took whatever money a failing company could salvage, and made fans an afterthought.

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Now, St. Peter won’t rule out yet another return to Bally Sports North next season. A move like that would probably mean yet another decrease in rights fees, though. That’s what the NBA and NHL reportedly had to agree to.

According to Sports Business Journal, the NBA teams have agreed to reductions between 30% and 40% of their previous rights fees, and the NHL teams roughly 20%. But Amazon, which earlier this year announced it would pay Diamond $115 million in order to steam games on its Prime app, has withdrawn that offer.”

“If Diamond continues to exist, you can make an argument in some markets that the status quo with Diamond would be good for those clubs. We don’t have a long-term contract with them, so our situation is different. Diamond could be an option under the right circumstances for us, but there are other options, and we are actively exploring those.”

Dave St. Peter on the Diamond Sports situation (via the MN Star Tribune)

Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild deserve blame too

According to the Sports Business Journal, NBA teams will get 30%-40% less than last year. NHL teams will see a “roughly” 20% decrease. The Minnesota Twins agreed to take less in rights fees from Bally’s each of the past two seasons. I’d imagine they would have to slash their demands yet again, to re-up.

Of course they didn’t know that Comcast would rip Bally Sports off the air. But they gambled by sticking in an ugly situation, so the ‘poor me’ card doesn’t play well. Of course, the other pro teams in this town (and the leagues they play in) are also to blame.

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They are keeping a crumbling business operational by taking rights fees they know aren’t market value. Everyone deserves their share of blame. But unlike the Twins, accessing Timberwolves and Wild games has been much easier.

Fan frustration due to the broadcasting certainly has already alienated many. There have to be sweeping changes before the upcoming season. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. We already know what ownership will choose, if forced to decide between an extra dime, and the happiness of their fans.

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