Braves survive but Angels, Reds & others might be dropped by bankrupt broadcaster Diamond Sports Group after near-$800 million payment in 2024: Report
Diamond Sports Group, the operator of Bally Sports, plans to drop all their broadcasting contracts with all but the Atlanta Braves. In a shocking turn of events, the company announced that it would not be airing 11 of the 12 MLB clubs that they do in 2025, according to Anthony Crupi.
While the Atlanta Braves will reportedly continue to be broadcast under the Diamond Sports Group banner, the same can not be said about the remaining 11. The Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals are among the teams that need to look elsewhere for their broadcasting partner.
Representatives from the MLB were not thrilled with the announcement, to say the least. According to The Athletic, the league felt that they were not given adequate time to make a response to the decision.
Diamond Sports Group's contract with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, and Cleveland Guardians expired at the end of September, with the company opting to exit their commitments to the remaining eight teams aside from the Atlanta Braves.
According to Sportico, Bally paid roughly $800,000,000 to 12 different teams as a result of their agreement. The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2023 and has been figuring out how to get out of that status.
Although the company reportedly plans to retain only the Atlanta Braves for the 2025 season, they are open to negotiating new deals with the 11 other MLB teams they televised.
The Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, and the St. Louis Cardinals are part of those teams.
It's not only MLB clubs who have been dropped by Diamond Sports Group
It's been quite the year for Diamond Sports Group, who still have several deals with clubs from other major North American Sports. While the Atlanta Braves might be the only MLB team remaining with the company (for the time being), the company still has broadcasting agreements in place with nine teams in the NHL and 13 teams in the NBA.
That being said, there are two notable NBA clubs who will no longer be with the company: the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans.
While the Pelicans have already reportedly sold the majority of their 2024-25 broadcasting rights to the FOX affiliate in New Orleans, the broadcasting future for the Mavericks is now with TEGNA, a free-to-air agreement that will raise their presence across Texas.