Major League Baseball and the bankrupt regional sports network operator Diamond Sports Group are nearing a deal for 2024 game broadcasts that will provide near-term certainty on a critical revenue stream for as many as 11 teams.
Front Office Sports reports the league had been pressing for months to get an answer on DSG’s plans, particularly which teams it intends to keep showing next season. But during a bankruptcy court hearing on Friday in Texas, lawyers for both sides said a settlement is in development that would answer that question.
“We are in position to believe that we have a framework to move forward,” said James Bromley, an MLB lawyer. “We have a lot of conditions and issues that we still need to work through.”
The ongoing lack of clarity regarding DSG’s MLB plans for next year has impacted many of the involved teams, including their budgets and roster development for 2024. The negotiations between MLB and DSG are further complicated by the sometimes-differing goals and priorities among the involved teams, with some teams looking to reclaim their local rights as soon as possible and others preferring to keep the status quo with Bally Sports in place as long as possible.
The next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10. Even if there is an agreement struck for 2024 MLB broadcasts, DSG still has longer-term concerns, and the company’s parent, Sinclair Inc., has said that the chances of a DSG liquidation next year are growing. The developing baseball deal is also entangled with a parallel one that DSG holds with the NBA, and another in development with the NHL.
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