Major League Baseball coverage will be drastically reduced, according to Diamond Sports Group, the company that owns the regional sports networks owned by Bally Sports.
According to a story from The Athletic, the business, which presently broadcasts games for 12 MLB clubs, intends to eliminate all but the Atlanta Braves from its 2025 roster.
This choice was made as Diamond Sports attempts to reorganize its business while navigating bankruptcy procedures. The decision to cut nine other clubs with contracts that expire in 2025 is unexpected, even though three teams—Cleveland, Texas, and Minnesota—were already on one-year contracts. Anaheim, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay are among the teams impacted.
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The Atlanta Braves are the only team Diamond Sports decided to keep, highlighting the difficult financial situation facing local sports networks. The firm has attributed this sharp decline in MLB coverage to its financial struggles and viewers’ shifting media consumption preferences.
The 11 teams that were cut must now work quickly to find new broadcasting agreements in time for the forthcoming campaign. There are a number of options available, such as taking production in-house and using MLB’s Local Media division, looking for alternate broadcasting arrangements, or negotiating new agreements with Diamond Sports at possibly reduced fees.
Fans may see a more fragmented and possibly more expensive access to local team broadcasts, however this is yet to be determined. This circumstance highlights how sports media rights are changing and the difficulties local sports networks are facing as a result of cord-cutting and the growth of streaming platforms.
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