The Braves are returning to Comcast.
A monthslong dispute between Diamond Sports Group, the owners of the Bally’s regional sports networks, and Xfinity/Comcast has been settled, the two sides announced on Monday. The programming will return to the cable provider on Thursday. Comcast customers have been unable to watch the Braves since May 1.
Under the agreement, subscribers to Comcast’s Xfinity Ultimate TV package in 15 Bally Sports markets, including Atlanta, will gain access to live, local MLB, NBA and NHL games and pre- and postgame content on Diamond’s RSN channels. Additionally, Xfinity Ultimate TV customers will be able to stream Diamond’s RSN content by authenticating their Xfinity credentials on the Bally Sports app.
Braves fans with Comcast will be able to watch games starting with Thursday’s home game against the Marlins, a 7:20 p.m. start that opens a four-game series.
Other major markets affected by the dispute included Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit and Minneapolis.
“Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third-largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity,” David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond Sports, said in a statement. “With certainty on our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA. We are mindful that time is of the essence with basketball and hockey seasons fast approaching, and once agreements with our team and league partners are complete, we intend to move expeditiously to present a plan of reorganization to the Court.”
“We appreciate Diamond Sports working with us to reach a solution that returns the Bally Sports RSNs to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports,” Greg Rigdon, President of Content Acquisition for Comcast said in a statement. “We look forward to making these networks available on Aug. 1, so customers can enjoy watching their favorite teams again.”
The carriage agreement with Comcast follows Diamond’s previously announced distribution agreements with Charter Communications, DIRECTV, Cox Communications and Fubo.
Financial terms of the carriage agreement with Comcast were not disclosed.
Bally Sports South and Southeast in Atlanta are part of 15 regional sports networks nationwide that had to come off Comcast when the contract expired on May 1. Bally Sports South and Southeast also broadcast the Hawks.
Pending court approval, Diamond Sports is trying to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed last year. As it works through the process, it is trying to secure long-term deals with providers. It has reached agreement with three of the seven biggest providers in Charter, DirecTV and Cox. Comcast was a significant missing piece along with others such as Dish, YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV.
A deal between Comcast and Diamond expired in September. After a six-month extension was agreed upon, it took effect in October with an expiration date of April 30. Diamond had the opportunity to extend that agreement to a year but did not choose to do so by a March deadline. That meant the end of the rights expired on May 1.
According to each side, proposals were on the table. The agreement Diamond struck with Charter, DirecTV and Cox was on the table for Comcast. The previous working agreement and the tier agreement Comcast struck with carriers in other markets was on the table for Diamond.
The Braves monitored the situation as the dispute dragged on, including in the courts as Diamond had bankruptcy court hearings.
“Carriage disputes are sort of commonplace, unfortunately, and we don’t like the fact that this carriage dispute is going on,” Braves CEO Derek Schiller said in May in a call with Atlanta Braves Holdings Inc. shareholders. “We’re not a party to it, and we’re hoping that Comcast and Bally’s get together.
Bally Sports South/Southeast General Manager Jeff Genthner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May that Diamond was looking for longer-term deals.
“Part of the plan to emerge from Chapter 11 is to secure longer-term deals with distributors,” Genthner told the AJC. “There is certainty in longer terms – for distributors, for teams like the Braves, and, most importantly, for fans to not have to do this every six months, nine months, 10 months. That’s really what we are trying to do here.”
The dispute ended up lasting three months.
An attorney for Diamond told a bankruptcy judge in Houston in June that negotiations “are at an impasse.”
“Based on Comcast’s intransigence to negotiate off their current position the company has little choice but to explore alternatives to Comcast, including a new deal with FUBO,” attorney Joe Graham said in what was described as a “brief-but-contentious” hearing.
A hearing scheduled for Tuesday has been adjourned. A new schedule will be filed with the court. An agreement with Comcast will help in the process of emerging from Chapter 11.
The issue revolved around the price customers pay for regional sports networks. They are often the most expensive part of a customers cable bill. Comcast breaks down the fees on their bills. Typically, the RSNs are lightly watched by most cable consumers.
Comcast said it would issue credits to customers between $8-10 and they could be more in certain areas depending on the number of regional sports networks available during the dispute.
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