Today, Bally Sports departed from another cable TV provider. Comcast canceled Bally Sports almost two months ago, and now Optimum TV has done the same.
“Despite our best efforts and continuous flexibility in reaching a fair and reasonable arrangement, Diamond Sports Group continues to seek unsustainable demands that will increase our customers’ TV bills, and as a result, Bally Sports Networks has been withdrawn from Optimum TV lineups. We believe it is unfair for Diamond Sports Group to charge customers excessive charges for their channels while they are still negotiating content rights with various sports leagues and do not know what content will be offered to their viewers.
This comes as Bally Sports faces a deadline later this month to devise a viable plan to exit bankruptcy. Without Comcast and now Optimum TV, several of Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports partners, are concerned about the company’s capacity to continue.
READ MORE: Amazon Will Soon Be The New Home Of Bally Sports RSN Streaming—Here’s Everything We Know
Last May, the MLB, NHL, and NBA expressed concern in court about Comcast’s potential impact on Bally Sports’ ambitions to restructure and leave bankruptcy. According to Bloomberg, MLB has stated that Bally Sports has been “an undependable partner” and that Comcast’s decision to eliminate Bally Sports has harmed the league. This has pushed the MLB to provide an alternative broadcast option for Comcast users.
Also at the hearing last month, NHL counsel Shana Elberg stated that the league requires immediate answers about the future of Bally Sports RSNs. “We have told the debtors unequivocally that we need to get clarity on certain outstanding matters this week,” she told the StarTribune.
So, how concerned are the MLB, NHL, and NBA now that a second big cable TV network has dropped Bally Sports?
Optimum TV issued the following statement to its customers:
We at Optimum enjoy sports and our local teams, but Diamond Sports Group’s proposal for high payments while they are in ongoing bankruptcy procedures and content rights talks is anti-consumer. We continue to negotiate with Diamond Sports Group to reinstate their content to Optimum TV lineups, and in the interim, we continue to prioritize our consumers by providing solutions to those viewers who wish to continue watching games broadcast on Bally Sports Networks. Customers can get additional information at optimum.com/ballysports or by calling 888-822-5151.
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