The 2023 MLB season was a tumultuous one for local television rights, with both the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks moving away from their longstanding regional sports networks to being streamed by MLB. League commissioner Rob Manfred doesn’t want to see many more of those same situations in 2024.
While speaking about the deal put in place between Diamond Sports Group — the parent company of the Bally Sports-branded regional sports network that broadcasts 12 MLB franchises — and the NBA to relinquish the television rights after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, Manfred said MLB views it as a “very, very complicated situation” and that “our primary goal at this point is certainty”.
“To undertake another summer where we have 12 teams at risk given that the financial situation of the Diamond RSNs has further deteriorated is not an appealing prospect,” Manfred said. “It’s one thing to pick up one or two. Picking up 12 with no notice is a herculean feat. We need to know so our fans are not disrupted.”
While Diamond Sports Group has already dropped two MLB contracts, some reports have claimed the team’s deals with the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are also at risk of being dropped. Additionally, the network’s contract with the Minnesota Twins has expired, with no new deal being imminent for either side.
Last week, a lawyer for the regional sports network operator said the company’s intention was “to broadcast almost all” of its MLB contracts next year, while noting that some teams have contracts “that, frankly, at this point, are too expensive for us to broadcast without concessions”.
