BOSTON—Regional sports network NESN has tapped Fahad Haider as vice president, operations and engineering, leading its broadcast operations, broadcast engineering and studio production operations organizations.

NESN televises Boston Red Sox baseball games, Boston Bruins hockey games and other events to a territory comprising the six New England states. Its programming is also available via direct-to-consumer app NESN 360.

A 20-year industry veteran, Haider most recently served as vice president and general manager of operations for FanDuel Sports Network. He also held engineering leadership roles at Spectrum’s SportsNet LA and had previously been NESN’s VP of broadcast engineering and CTO.

“Fahad is one of the most accomplished operations and engineering leaders in our industry, and his track record building and running large-scale live sports operations is the leadership NESN needs as we keep modernizing how we deliver content across every platform,” said David Wisnia, president and CEO of NESN and Sportsnet Pittsburgh. “We’re thrilled to welcome him back to the team.”

Over his career, Haider has been responsible for high-visibility live broadcasts for more than 50 Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and National Football League teams, NESN said, earning three Emmy Awards for live productions, operations and engineering.

“NESN holds a special place in my career, and returning to lead its operations and engineering organizations at this moment is a tremendous opportunity,” Haider said. “The network is building towards an ambitious future across linear and streaming, and I’m excited to help shape how NESN delivers that experience to fans.”

NEW YORK—NBCU’s streaming service Peacock continues to ramp up its sports offering with the launch of in-market streaming of four NBC Sports Regional Networks as add-on subscriptions.

The streams, which are priced between $14.95 to $24.95 per month, provide Peacock subscribers with direct access to live MLB, NBA and/NHL games as well as other programming carried by NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California or NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The new option enables Peacock Premium or Premium Plus subscribers located in the respective network’s television territory to purchase a monthly add-on subscription in addition to their Peacock subscription to receive the 24/7 stream of their regional sports network’s programming.

The MLB, NBA and NHL teams’ games available to subscribers include MLB’s Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies; NBA’s Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers; and NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks. Other pro and college sports, such as NWSL and NBA G League games, and other programming is included.

The four regional sports networks are:

• NBC Sports Bay Area: live San Francisco Giants (MLB) and Golden State Warriors (NBA) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive San Francisco 49ers (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday shows. NBC Sports Bay Area also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming and live coverage of other teams, including San Jose State University football and basketball, Bay FC (NWSL) and Santa Cruz Warriors (NBA G League).
• NBC Sports Boston: live Boston Celtics (NBA) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive New England Patriots (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday and daily in-season shows. NBC Sports Boston also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming, such as ‘Early Edition’ and ‘Boston Sports Tonight,’ and live coverage of other teams, including the Connecticut Sun (WNBA) and Maine Celtics (NBA G League).
• NBC Sports California: live Athletics (MLB) Sacramento Kings (NBA) and San Jose Sharks (NHL) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage. NBC Sports California also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming and live coverage of other teams, including San Jose State University football and basketball, Bay FC (NWSL) and San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
• NBC Sports Philadelphia: live Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) games, surrounded by comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage, and extensive Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) programming, highlighted by live gameday and daily in-season shows. NBC Sports Philadelphia also provides sports news, analysis and commentary programming, such as ‘SportsNet Central,’ and live coverage of other teams, including college basketball and football.

Prices for the add-on subscriptions are as follows: NBC Sports Bay Area is $17.95/mo.; NBC Sports Boston is $14.95/mo.; NBC Sports California is $17.95/mo.; and NBC Sports Philadelphia is $24.95/mo. Users with a direct-billed Peacock Premium ($7.99/mo.) or Premium Plus ($13.99/mo.) Plan can purchase add-on subscriptions.

The NBC Sports Regional Networks’ live MLB, NBA and NHL game schedules include non-nationally exclusive regular-season and postseason games, as well as select preseason matchups. Live games programmed on the networks’ respective ‘plus’ or overflow channels will be available as live-event streams outside the 24/7 channel.

Peacock reported that in-market blackouts may apply to certain teams’ games (including blackouts of all games for certain teams in particular zip codes) based on user location consistent with television availability and league policies.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The rebrand of the old NBC Sports Washington network has gone live with the launch of Monumental Sports Network and the announcement that the rebranded regional sports network will be offering a host of new features and digital experiences for its coverage of the 2023-24 NBA and NHL seasons. 

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), the parent company which acquired the network in 2022, announced the rebranding in June of 2023, which took place on Sept. 20. The linear channel is available at the same channel number where NBC Sports Washington was formerly found via pay TV providers. 

"Since acquiring NBC Sports Washington one year ago to the day, we have spent every day since building what we believe will be the best local media experience for the greatest fans in all of sports," said Zach Leonsis, president of media & new enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. "Our fans deserve the best experience possible, so we challenged ourselves to push every standard and deliver an extraordinary media platform. We're excited to begin the network's transformation this month with additional plans to unveil several significant upgrades throughout the course of the Capitals and Wizards regular seasons."

Monumental Sports Network is also building a brand-new production plant and broadcast studio, set to be delivered by early 2024 – located right next to Capital One Arena, at Gallery Place. 

This two-story, SMPTE 2110 facility will feature two major league quality studios which can also combine on non-conflict nights to create one single regional telecast worthy experience. The facility will also feature two insert studios and five control rooms to produce multiple events simultaneously.

Upon the opening of the new production plant and studios, Monumental Sports Network plans to upgrade its video quality from 1080i (shooting at 30 frames per second) to 1080p (shooting at 60 frames per second) so fans can enjoy their favorite live and original programs in stunning HD. The new facility is also built to upgrade its video quality to 4K in the future. In addition, Monumental Sports Network will plan to pursue its alternate telecast strategy upon the opening of the new facility. Further announcements will be made this winter.

"While the local media ecosystem continues to evolve, we seek to build the exemplar local media platform in all of sports. The value of live sports rights continues to grow, which is why we are so confident in making these significant investments back into our local rights," continued Leonsis. "We will do more with our live rights than ever before, upgrading the existing live experience, and producing more programming to the benefit of our fans and business partners. We look forward to debuting many more additional upgrades and enhancements throughout the NBA and NHL regular seasons."

A key part of the relaunch is enhanced video functionality for live-streaming of games with authentication of their Pay TV credentials, on-demand viewing of original programming and game replays, exclusive behind the scenes content and more, the network reported. Monumental Sports Network's new digital presence is also optimized across desktop, tablet, and mobile experiences. Users who had the previous Monumental Sports Network app downloaded on their digital devices will receive a new version of the app via a standard app update.

Additional features of the new digital experience include: 

• Access to multiple camera angles during live games with additional functionality including the ability to rewind and watch in slow motion.
• Personalization features that tailor a user's experience towards their favorite teams and players.
• Access to hundreds of hours of original behind-the-scenes programming, new shows including Hometown with Rachel Nichols and much more.
• Ability to watch Monumental Sports Network's live, 24/7 linear feed on-the-go on multiple devices.
• Opt-in ability to receive score alerts, team and player updates, as well as a new Monumental Sports Network newsletter.
• Daily editorial and video clips covering the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, and Go-Go which can be saved to a user's list for later viewing.
• Sportradar integrations providing users with advanced, real-time sports data and betting analytics.
• Ticketmaster integration for ticket management and account linking.
• Consistent look and feel across all platforms, allowing for an intuitive experience across all devices.
• Pay TV subscribers receive all these benefits for free by signing in with their TV Everywhere (TVE) credentials on Monumental Sports Network's online and mobile platforms.

Monumental Sports Network partnered on these enhancements with ViewLift, a leading end-to-end digital platform developer providing OTT distribution solutions for content owners across multiple device platforms, including web, mobile, connected TV devices, smart TVs and gaming consoles, to design and develop the brand-new digital experience.

The network also announced a number of improvements to the linear channel. These include new branding and a new logo as well as new programming. 

Other enhancements include: 

• New Digital Properties: The digital experience is available on desktop, mobile, tablet, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. It features all the live programming, on-demand game replays and TV episodes, and exclusive behind-the-scenes digital content.
• New Social Channels: Follow us at @MonSportsNet on X, Instagram, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube.
• New Paid Media Campaign: Monumental Sports Network is partnering with Gupta Media to launch its first-ever ad campaign and will be seen in print, online and out-of-home boards around the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
• New Visuals Inside Capital One Arena: Fans attending games and events can expect to see Monumental Sports Network signage around the venue as well as on the court and ice during game intermissions.
• New Fan Engagement Opportunities: Check out the "Rock the Red Carpet" event during the Capitals Opening Night on October 13 where Monumental Sports Network will provide live coverage and host a station for fans to win fun prizes. Throughout the Capitals and Wizards seasons, Monumental Sports Network will host watch parties for fans throughout the DMV.
• New Digital Newsletter: Sent three times a week, the Network's newsletter will keep fans up to date on the latest programming, as well as a roundup of the best digital content from our network and our teams.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Spectrum Networks has announced a new, multi-year distribution agreement with DirecTV for regional sports networks Spectrum SportsNet and SportsNet LA.

At a time when pay TV operators have been looking for ways to cut costs and have been dropping regional sports networks, this new agreement offers a significantly lower penetration threshold, giving DirecTV the ability to provide more affordable and flexible options to customers not interested in premium sports programming while still serving those who want live NBA Los Angeles Lakers and MLB Los Angeles Dodgers games.

“While viewing habits continue to shift, it’s clear that regular season professional sports programming remains extremely popular with a core base of traditional cable, satellite, and OTT customers,” said Dan Finnerty, senior vice president and general manager, Spectrum Networks. “That said, given these customers represent a relatively small percentage of the overall video subscriber base, and recognizing the marked increase in direct-to-consumer choices, the model for RSNs needs to evolve to reflect the realities of the current marketplace. With this agreement, we are taking a step to shift the business model so that customers have more control.”

As usual, financial terms of the distribution agreement were not revealed. 

Under the new deal, DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse customers throughout Southern and Central California, portions of Nevada including Las Vegas, as well as Hawaii will continue to enjoy live coverage of future Dodgers and Lakers games, pregame and postgame analysis, as well as exclusive studio and original programming such as “Backstage: Dodgers” and “Backstage: Lakers.” 

“DirecTV continues to believe in the power of local sports, while also recognizing the demands of the many homes we serve with other diverse programming interests,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DirecTV. “This agreement with Spectrum Networks achieves three key objectives – putting consumers first, recognizing local value, and enabling both parties to extend their relationship with long-term, mutual benefits.”

BALTIMORE—Sinclair has confirmed that it has sold a controlling stake in the Stadium Network to Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

The deal was first reported by Front Office Sports. Sinclair confirmed the sale to TV Tech, saying the property did not generate enough audience interest to continue funding and that deal was unrelated to Sinclair’s RSNs. 

Terms of the deal were not reported. Sinclair’s regional sports networks filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and some teams have been looking to reacquire rights to the games as part of the bankruptcy process.

In its reporting, Front Office Sports noted that Reinsdorf’s Silver Chalice sports media entity, which acquired the controlling stake, is looking at opportunities for further expansion.

The Phoenix Suns NBA team has been blocked from entering into a new TV and streaming agreement with Gray Television because of a possible violation of its contract with its current broadcast outlet Diamond Sports Group, which filed for bankruptcy in March. 

U.S. Bankruptcy Christopher Lopez Wednesday ruled that the Suns’ new contract that would allow the Suns and Mercury WNBA games to be broadcast over Gray TV local stations as well as a direct to consumer streaming service powered by Kiswe was void because it had not allowed Diamond Sports Group to negotiate an extension to the contract, according to Reuters.

Gray Television last month announced a deal with Suns NBA and Mercury WNBA teams to bring every locally broadcast game to viewers for free in a statewide distribution model utilizing Gray’s Phoenix television stations KTVK (Arizona’s Family 3TV) and the newly launched KPHE (Arizona’s Family Sports & Entertainment Network). 

Up until the regular 2022-2023 season, Suns games were aired on Bally Sports Arizona, a division of Sinclair-owned Diamond Sports Group RSN, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, citing $8 billion in debt. Immediately after the announcement, Diamond said that the deal violated its current agreement with the Suns.

While Diamond was not awarded any compensatory damages in yesterday's hearing, Lopez left the door open for compensation in a future hearing. 

Attorneys for the Suns told Lopez that their contract with Diamond had expired after the 2022-2023 season, but Lopez countered that the team had promoted the new contract with Gray as a confirmed deal. 

"The Suns are saying one thing outside the court and another thing inside it," he said. 

After the hearing Phoenix Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein said that it would work toward "a fair resolution that will be in the best interest of our fans, our community, and our players," according to Reuters.

According to NextTV, sources familiar with the teams’ negotiations, the Suns received approximately $25 million a season from Diamond but that the new deal with Gray TV which would involve over-the-air broadcasts and a direct-to-consumer streaming service with Kiswe Mobile, involved “significantly less money.” 

LAS VEGAS and CINCINNATI—Scripps continues to expand its rights to air local sports with a new multi-year agreement to air the Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey games for free to residents of Nevada and surrounding states within the team’s broadcast territory.  

The agreement, which begins with the 2023-34 season, allows The E.W. Scripps Company to televise all non-nationally exclusive Golden Knights games with full distribution on cable, satellite and over-the-air television. 

Financial terms are not disclosed. The deal has obtained the necessary approvals from the National Hockey League.

Scripps will air Golden Knights games on its local station KMCC-TV, which is currently airing programming from ION, Scripps’ national entertainment network. 

ION programming will continue to be available to Nevadans over-the-air, on pay TV and on connected TV platforms through a move to another Las Vegas broadcast channel, Scripps said. 

Scripps said that it plans to rebrand KMCC, channel 34, as an independent station before the 2023-24 NHL season begins. In addition to the Golden Knights games, the new KMCC will broadcast local and national news, local sports and additional entertainment programming. 

Scripps also owns the Las Vegas ABC affiliate, KTNV, which will provide a strong marketing platform for KMCC and the Golden Knights telecasts and has carried VGK preseason games since the franchise’s inaugural season of 2017-18.

“This deal is a significant win for our fans because they will be able to see our games on television and for free, if they wish,” team president and CEO Kerry Bubolz said. “That was our goal in finding a new TV partner. We wanted to serve our fanbase in the best way possible.”

The Golden Knights and Scripps also said that they are committed to providing fans with a direct-to-consumer streaming option as part of this partnership. Details on the streaming option will be announced when plans are finalized, the companies said. 

The deal provides another example of the ongoing turmoil in the regional sports business, which led to Sinclair Broadcast’s Diamond Sports Group to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, citing $9 billion in debt spread across its 19 Bally Sports regional sports networks.

Warner Bros. Discovery, which had carried Golden Knights games on AT&T SportsNet since 2017, has said it is leaving the regionals sports network business.

In the wake of those problems, other broadcasters like Gray Television and Scripps have been looking to expand their sports offerings. 

The Vegas Golden Knights broadcasters, led by the multi-Emmy Award winning duo of Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy, will remain on the call for Scripps Sports’ games.

Broadcasts will include pregame and postgame coverage for every game, with additional distribution into Idaho (Boise, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls), Montana (Billings, Butte-Bozeman, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula), Nevada (Reno), Utah (Salt Lake City) and Wyoming (Casper-Riverton and Cheyenne-Scottsbluff). 

“We have been impressed by the Golden Knights’ commitment to winning and their desire to connect and engage with fans in Vegas and outer markets, as well,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “This is going to be a wonderful partnership, and it’s the fans who will benefit most. We launched Scripps Sports with the belief that we could help teams reach more fans through our stations, which do not depend on subscriptions and added fees for the consumer.” 

The Golden Knights are the first professional sports team to reach a deal with Scripps Sports, which launched in December. It is the second deal Scripps has announced in the past 15 days. The first was an agreement with the WNBA, announced April 20, to televise games on ION on Friday nights during the regular season starting May 26.

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Regional sports network (RSN) Altitude Sports is using Synacor’s Cloud ID identify and access management platform to enable simplified, seamless authentication and identity management across all platforms.

Altitude Sports, the home of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Mammoth, uses Cloud ID for existing MVPD deployments. The platform provides subscribers with simple experiences when accessing a rich lineup of sports and sports-related content across different devices, Synacor said.

Synacor’s SaaS-based managed services solution supports integrations across MVPD, telco and other partners, as well as direct-to-consumer opportunities in the future, allowing Altitude to focus entirely on providing a top-level consumer digital experience, it said.

“Streaming and sports media deals are pushing content to new places faster than ever,” said Dave Zur, senior vice president of operations and engineering at Altitude Sports. “Cloud ID is ensuring that our sign-in process has the speed, security and scalability we need to quickly deliver to virtually any platform where fans want to access our programming.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

NEW YORK & TORONTO—MSG Networks and Quickplay have announced that MSG+, MSG Networks' new streaming service set to launch this summer, will use the Quickplay cloud native OTT platform to power the service and optimize sports viewing experiences for consumers. 

As part of the deployment MSG+ will use Quickplay's CMS, edge services, and player – all running on Google Cloud – to support the data-driven delivery of content based on viewers' specific interests.

MSG+ is being developed as a state-of-the-art streaming platform to provide fans in the region with the ability to access MSG Networks' exclusive coverage of their favorite teams wherever they are and on their favorite devices, the companies said. 

Fans can subscribe to MSG+ on a direct-to-consumer basis by purchasing monthly and annual subscriptions, which will include MSG channels and all MSG-produced Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Sabres games as well as other live sports, events and programming. Additionally, fans will be able to purchase single games of their favorite local teams, an innovative offering not made available by any other regional sports network. 

MSG+ will also be available at no additional charge to subscribers of participating pay television service providers of MSG Networks, replacing MSG GO as the company's authenticated streaming service.

"In the same way MSG Networks was a pioneer in sports broadcasting, the launch of MSG+ and our migration to the cloud are pivotal for our passionate sports fans," said David Schafer, senior vice president, product, technology and operations, for MSG Networks. "Using the Quickplay platform, we are creating an industry-leading direct-to-consumer streaming sports service that offers fans a feature rich experience with the choice to subscribe directly or through their TV provider."

The Quickplay platform combines the flexibility and scalability of the cloud with the quality and reliability of traditional broadcast and cable environments, the companies said. 

The platform is also the foundation of an enriched environment in which MSG+ can quickly and efficiently create new features that uniquely cater to diverse subscriber interests and enhance the viewing experience of MSG+'s marquee live sporting events and complementary content.

"Maximizing viewership today requires the flexibility to meet sports viewers on their terms: live or archived game coverage, real-time highlights, gamification and more" said Paul Pastor, CBO and co-founder of Quickplay. "MSG Networks' shift to the cloud is paving the way for truly personalized experiences that will enhance the ability of viewers and sponsors to connect with many of the world's most important sports brands."

BALTIMORE—Sinclair Broadcast’s Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday citing $9 billion in debt spread across its 19 Bally Sports regional sports networks. In its filing, it said the RSNs will continue to operate and that it has approximately $425 million in case to finance its operations and restructure. 

Sinclair said it plans to spin off Diamond to become a standalone company with ownership going to its creditors and secondary and unsecured creditors. 

The filing came as little surprise as warning signs of the RSN’s imminent bankruptcy had been known for months. Sinclair acquired the RSNs from Fox in 2019 for $10.6 billion and $8 billion in debt. But as more consumers cut the cord, cancelling their pay-TV subscriptions and pro sports leagues continue to increase their rights fees, the financial pressure has increased among all regional sports networks, with Warner Bros. Discovery—which operates three RSNs—informing sports leagues last month that it plans to exit the business, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Diamond—which missed a $140 million interest payment last month—owns the rights to broadcast to 14 MLB teams as well as several NBA, NHL and WNBA teams. In a news conference in February, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred commented on DSG’s tenuous position. 

"We've been really clear that if Diamond doesn't pay, under every single one of the broadcast agreements, that creates a termination right, and our clubs will proceed to terminate those contracts,” Manfred said. In the event that MLB stepped in, what we would do is we would produce the games, we would make use of our asset, the MLB Network, to do that. We would go directly to distributors — meaning Comcast, Charter, the big distributors — and make an agreement to have those games distributed on cable networks.

"We would also be seeking flexibility on the digital side, so that when you look at MLB.tv, you'd go in, you can buy your out-of-market package like you've always had, but you would have the option to buy up into in-market games, which I see as a huge improvement for fans."

According to CNBC, DSG has missed only one rights payment to a sports team, the Arizona Diamondback, to which it has yet to secure streaming rights.   

David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond, said DSG filing Chapter 11 will allow the company “to reset our capital structure and strengthen our balance sheet through the elimination of approximately $8 billion of debt. The financial flexibility attained through this restructuring will allow DSG to evolve our business while continuing to provide exceptional live sports productions for our fans.

“DSG will continue broadcasting games and connecting fans across the country with the sports and teams they love, Preschlack continued. “With the support of our creditors, we expect to execute a prompt and efficient reorganization and to emerge from the restructuring process as a stronger company.”

BALTIMORE—Financial woes in the regional sports network sector escalated this week as Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group announced this week that it had decided to not to make $140 million interest payment on its debt, a move that will trigger a 30-day grace period during which it can negotiate with creditors. 

Diamond Sports Group, an independently-managed and unconsolidated subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., owns the Bally Sports, which owns and operates 19  regional sports networks (RSNs).  

Sinclair’s financially troubled regional sports network operator said that skipping the payment would “maximize its financial flexibility” and that it would “use the 30-day grace period to continue progressing its ongoing discussions with creditors and other key stakeholders regarding potential strategic alternatives and deleveraging transactions to best position Diamond Sports Group for the future.”

Diamond Sports Group also said that it “expects that its business will continue as usual, and it will keep broadcasting quality live sports productions for fans while it addresses its balance sheet.”

RSNs around the country have been struggling as cord-cutting has accelerated and pay TV operators have looked for ways of cutting programming costs. 

This week Sportico reported that the Bally Sports networks weren’t the only ones facing financial woes. “According to multiple league, finance and network sources, the three AT&T SportsNet brands [owned by Warner Bros. Discovery] in recent weeks have handed over lighter-than-expected envelopes to their respective MLB franchise partners,” Sportico reported. 

In response to Diamond’s announcement that it will not pay the interest on its senior secured second-lien notes, senior secured third-lien notes, and senior unsecured notes due Feb. 15, 2023, S&P Global Ratings issued a statement saying it “views the missed interest payments as a default. Therefore, we lowered our issuer credit ratings on Diamond Sports Holdings LLC and subsidiary DSG to 'D' from 'CCC-'. At the same time, we lowered our issue-level ratings on DSG's senior secured second-lien notes to 'D' from 'CCC-' and senior unsecured notes to 'D' from 'C'. The company's senior secured third-lien notes are unrated."

S&P also said “We do not expect the company to make its interest payments within the 30-day grace period to preserve financial flexibility. DSG is discussing strategic alternatives with creditors and other key stakeholders, which we believe will likely result in a comprehensive debt restructuring or bankruptcy filing.”

Bloomberg News is reporting that the Diamond Sports Group is planning to miss a $140 million payment on its debts in mid-February and that the Sinclair-backed company is planning to file for bankruptcy, which would allow the regional sports network operator to restructure its massive $8.6 billion debts. 

“The outcome will have serious implications for the $55 billion world of sports-media rights: the company’s channels showcase Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League games to fans from Detroit and Phoenix to San Diego,” the article noted. 

The article cites people with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified citing the private nature of the talks. 

Sinclair declined to comment in response a TV Tech request for a statement on the report. 

If the bankruptcy filing proceeds in a typical fashion, the bankruptcy restructuring would most likely turn the holders of Diamon’s debt into owners. Bloomberg reported that Diamond expects to emerge from any restructuring by May or June, one person said. At that point, its largest owners would include Prudential Financial, Fidelity, Hein Park Capital Management and Mudrick Capital Management, according to multiple people.

Another alternative would be for the teams to acquire ownership stakes or to take back the media rights.

The possible bankruptcy filing stems from ongoing woes in the regional sports business. Faced with massive video sub losses, pay TV providers have dropped or worked to limit their carriage of these expensive services, which in turn has cut into the carriage fees Diamond’s Bally Sports Networks had hoped to receive when the company was acquired by Sinclair. 

To compensate for that, Bally launched direct-to-consumer services last year but those businesses will take time to build. 

Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group has expanded the distribution of its Bally Sports+ regional sports app with an agreement that makes the app available on Samsung TVs.    

Users can access the content from the regional sports networks either with credentials from their pay TV provider or via the login and password information for their subscription to Bally Sports+.

The app will work on all Samsung TV models from 2016 and later.  

BALTIMORE—As the Bally Sport+ direct-to-consumer app celebrated its official national rollout on Sept. 26, Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group also announced that it had expanded the distribution of Bally Sports+ to include Roku. 

The deal means that Roku users will have the ability to download the Bally Sports app, subscribe to the Bally Sports+ service and stream live games and programming from their favorite local teams, all within the Roku platform. Roku users who subscribe to a pay TV service will continue to be able to authenticate through the Bally Sports app to access their regional sports content.

“Our regional sports audiences include some of the most loyal viewers, and we are excited to expand our reach as we officially launch Bally Sports+, offering fans even more ways to watch their hometown teams,” said Michael Schneider, COO and general manager, Bally Sports+. “Roku shares our same passion for delivering live, local sports to fans across the country on a nightly basis. They have been fantastic partners in servicing our pay TV viewers and we look forward to growing our partnership with the addition of our direct-to-consumer offering.”

In addition to the Roku platform, Bally Sports+ subscribers can access the service on Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, mobile and tablet devices: iOS/Android, and BallySports.com.

The Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs) serve as the TV home to more than half of all MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States with 19 owned-and-operated RSNs.

BALTIMORE—Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that its subsidiary, Diamond Sports Group (“DSG”), has renewed its extended market and digital distribution rights agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

Under the agreement, DSG’s Bally Sports Regional Networks are permitted to offer streaming content, including live games, on an authenticated and direct-to-consumer (DTC) basis, to the local territories of 16 NBA teams.

The deal marks an important step forward in Sinclair’s plans to launched a DTC service in 2022 for its regional sports networks. 

“We are excited about our continued partnership with the NBA which allows us to bring the league’s in demand and exciting basketball content to local fans across multiple platforms,” said Chris Ripley, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s president and CEO. “Sinclair places the highest importance on connecting sports fans with live games and other sports content. We are looking forward to the launch of our DTC platform in 2022, ushering in a new era of local sports viewing with a more personalized and dynamic viewing experience.”

Teams included in the agreement are the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs.

BALTIMORE, M.D.—Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Diamond Sports Group, (“DSG”) has entered into a multi-year renewal of its digital and outer market distribution rights agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL).

The agreement is an important step forward for Sinclair’s plans to offer its regional sports networks as direct to consumer services. Under the agreement, DSG’s Bally Sports Regional Networks are permitted to offer streaming content, including live games, on an authenticated and direct-to-consumer (DTC) basis, to the local territories of 12 NHL teams. 

The agreement was expanded to allow post-game highlights on Sinclair’s digital news platforms, alternative feeds, and use of the NHL’s proprietary Puck and Player Tracking data in the broadcasts of the games.

“We are incredibly proud to continue to partner with the NHL, with which we have had a long and successful relationship, to bring the fast pace and excitement of hockey to local fans across the country,” said Chris Ripley, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s president and CEO. “Our announcement today signifies the importance that both parties place on the ability for sports viewers to consume content whenever and however they choose. The advent of a DTC model will further enhance flexibility for viewers, as well as offer them a highly-personalized and engaging experience, with functionality and interactivity well beyond what is offered today.”

Teams included in the agreement are the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—In an escalating carriage dispute, Dish Networks fired back at the Sinclair Broadcast Group with a press release claiming that “the media conglomerate is trying to use its market power to demand an unreasonable fee increase, using millions of Americans as pawns in its negotiations.”

“Sinclair is demanding Dish pay nearly a billion dollars in fees for their television channels — a massive increase from what we pay for these same channels today despite declining viewership,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV in a statement. “Sinclair is making these outrageous demands, turning its back on its public interest obligation and putting customers in the middle of its negotiations.”

In an apparent reference to the regional sports networks that Dish removed from its line-up in 2019 and Sinclair is seeking to restore, a Dish press release noted that “over the past couple of years, Sinclair spent billions of dollars to acquire new channels, and now they’re demanding a massive increase because they want Dish customers to foot the bill. In addition, Sinclair is also demanding that Dish carry other programming that many customers don’t watch.”

Earlier today, Sinclair issued a statement saying it was unlikely to reach a carriage agreement with Dish prior to the August 16 deadline, an impasse that Sinclair said would mean Dish customers would lose access to 112 stations. 

Dish said the dispute would black out Dish customers’ access to 144 local channels across 86 markets nationwide.

“There is still time to reach an agreement with Sinclair that is fair for all parties involved, especially our customers,” added Neylon. “We will continue to fight on behalf of Dish customers to keep TV bills as low as possible. Despite the fact that Sinclair has walked away from the table multiple times, we stand ready to negotiate in good faith.”

SAN BRUNO, Calif.—YouTube TV subscribers who watch their favorite teams on Fox regional sports networks are going to have to go without for the time being, as the vMVPD service has announced that it will stop offering those channels as of Saturday, Feb. 29.

YouTube TV announced via its Twitter page that it could not come to a carriage agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the Fox RSNs, citing the rising cost of sports content and saying that other TV services have also removed the channels from their lineups. Dish customers have been without Fox RSNs since July 2019. 

“We offered YouTube TV the best terms under which their competitors carry our Regional Sports Networks,” Sinclair said in a statement. “Unfortunately, they alone decided to drop these channels citing ‘rising costs’ despite our offer to actually lower the fees they pay us.” Sinclair also said it offered a short-term extension during which the two sides could continue negotiating.

YouTube TV’s official response said: “Our goal with YouTube TV is to offer you the content you love, delivered the way you want. Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to reach an agreement with Sinclair, the content provider that offers the Fox Regional Sports Networks and YES Network.”

The dropping of the Fox RSNs comes as NHL, NBA and NCAA Men’s Basketball enter their final stretches of games before their respective postseasons, as well as MLB spring training games being currently underway (MLB opening day is scheduled for March 26).

Awful Announcing reported that on Sinclair’s fourth quarter earnings call on Feb. 26, CEO Chris Ripley mentioned that Sinclair was currently in negotiations with YouTube TV to add the new Marquee Sports Network to its channel lineup. 

BALTIMORE & BURBANK, Calif.—The Sinclair Broadcast Group and Disney have finalized a deal that will see Sinclair acquire 21 regional sports networks, as well as Fox College Sports, from Disney for a total price of $9.6 billion, which the Department of Justice has given its approval. Disney was required to divest the RSNs following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

To acquire the RSNs, Sinclair created an indirect subsidiary, Diamond Sports Group LLC, with Byron Allen agreeing to become and equity and content partner. According to Sinclair CEO and President Chris Ripley, Jeff Krolik, president of the RSNs, as well as of the RSN management team and staff, will now join Sinclair.

“We are very excited about the transformational aspects the RSN acquisition will have on Sinclair and are eager to bring those opportunities to life,” said Ripley.

With the deal, Sinclair now have the exclusive local rights to 42 professional teams, including 14 for MLB, 16 NBA and 12 NHL teams. The deal excludes the YES Network.

Here is the complete list of RSNs acquired by Sinclair: Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Sun, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Wisconsin, Fox Sports Ohio, SportsTime Ohio, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Carolina, Fox Sports Tennessee, Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports New Orleans, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports San Diego, Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish customers have been blacked out on 16 Fox regional sports networks since July 26, and according to the satellite provider’s chairman Charlie Ergen, customers could have to get used to those channels not being available through the service.

In a conference call discussing Dish’s Q2 results, Ergen highlighted where the two sides differ, with Dish calling the fees to carry the RSNs too expensive and Fox’s claim that they are simply seeking fair value for the content. Ergen would go on to say after a certain amount of time, customers may forget that the RSNs were even a part of the service to being with.

Read the full story on TVT’s sister publicationMultichannel News.

PITTSBURGH—ACA Connects isn’t a fan of the recently announced deal that would see Sinclair Broadcast Group acquire 21 regional sports networks from Disney-Fox. It’s opposition centers around the same reason it opposed the eventually scrapped deal between Sinclair and Tribune—the possibility that Sinclair would raise prices to consumers, including those served by ACA Connects.

“Big 4 broadcast network programming and RSN programming are both critical for ACA Connects members,” said ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew Polka in a statement. “By jointly negotiating these assets when they serve the same market, Sinclair can raise prices to cable operators for both offerings.”

The deal with Disney would see Sinclair take over 21 RSNs and Fox College Sports, including the rights to 14 MLB teams, 16 NBA teams and 12 NHL teams.

The deal does not contain any licenses, so is not subject to review by the FCC, but it will be looked at by the Department of Justice for any antitrust issues. Sinclair already owns Marquee Sports Network, the Tennis Channel, Stadium, Ring of Honor Wrestling and some high school sports programming.

News as a result of the announced deal caused Sinclair’s stock to go up more than 30% on Monday, May 6.

Ultimately, Polka believes that antitrust regulators will reject the proposed deal between Sinclair and Disney.

WASHINGTON--The Department of Justice on Wednesday cleared the way for Disney to acquire the assets of 21 Century Fox pending the sale of Fox’s regional sports networks.

The announcement by the DOJ’s antitrust division gives Disney a leg up over Comcast, which is also attempting to purchase the assets, which include the Twentieth Century Fox studio. The two companies have made several proposals that has driven the value of the transaction from $52.4 billion to $71.3 billion as of last week. Comcast is attempting to partner with other companies or private equity investors to raise additional cash for the deal, which could reach up to $90 billion, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal today.

To meet the DOJ’s final approval, Disney will have to divest 22 regional sports networks, responding to critics’ fears that a combined Disney-Fox company would result in higher prices for cable sports programming. The department has given Disney 90 days to divest the RSNs following closure of the deal.

“American consumers have benefitted from head-to-head competition between Disney and Fox’s cable sports programming that ultimately has prevented cable television subscription prices from rising even higher,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s settlement will ensure that sports programming competition is preserved in the local markets where Disney and Fox compete for cable and satellite distribution.”

Matthew Polka, president and CEO of the American Cable Association applauded the decision and urged Comcast to drop its bid.

"DOJ's action should convince Comcast to abandon its own pursuit of the Fox programming assets,” Polka said. "It already has too much market power by virtue of being both the nation's largest cable operator and a significant owner of national, regional and local programming. And its ability to harm rivals has only increased with the recent expiration of FCC conditions that were put in place in 2011 to address this concern. Comcast's acquisition of even more programming is a bridge too far for competition and consumers."

The deal is also subject to other regulatory approvals outside of the U.S. as well as shareholder approval. 

BALTIMORE—Too much? Not enough? Or just right?

Those seem to be the key questions concerning the proper use of social media, not just by the public, but by sports networks during sporting events and other programming. Some employ it so often that they also air actual programs dedicated to the day’s posts and comments; others pick-and-choose moments, programs and moments in programs when it’s time to go social.

So, the approaches by the various sports nets can be… well, varied, just as there are a variety of companies that provide software for distribution and aggregation to the market.

DRIVING TRAFFIC

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia has a partnership with Oracle, and thus employs its Social Relationship Management product. “We use information we glean from the software to digest the analytics created by posts and traffic on our web site,” said Todd Berman, senior director of digital media for the regional sports network. Additionally, the RSN uses Hootsuite “to monitor what people in our market are talking about,” Berman said, and to find out what might be trending and for security management.

The strategy at CSN Philly is two-fold. “We want to drive traffic to our web site and people to our broadcasts. Social is a huge part to what we do,” he said, noting that the sports net even airs a program, “End Game,” specifically to address posts and trends on social media. 

Berman said his department even created an account for Philadelphia Flyers fans on Twitter “so they can get exclusives from behind the scenes,” including still pictures, graphics and questions. “We also send scoreboards out during the games, so if a fan isn’t in front of their TV, they know what’s happening,” he said, “and when the Flyers introduced their new coach, fans could watch on TV or on Periscope,” an online streaming tool.

How important has streaming become at the sports net? “Every show we have incorporates social media, in some way,” he said, noting “This landscape is evolving very quickly.”

Fox Sports North believes in a measured approach to combining its sports coverage with social media, saving it for special events like "Hockey Day Minnesota."

True, but not every RSN uses social media as frequently. Consider the case of Fox Sports North in Minneapolis, where Trevor Fleck, the coordinating producer, spoke of the more reserved approach.

“We save it major events, like opening day and the playoffs,” said Fleck, looking back to last year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was held at Target Field in Minneapolis. “We did it on the nine days leading up to the event. We also integrated social media into coverage of Hockey Day Minnesota, from 9 a.m. until about 2 a.m. the next day,” he said. “That’s been our biggest day of using it. Our second channel was totally dedicated to social media that day.”

Fox Sports North employs ChyronHego’s Duet for graphics, likewise for its social media platforms. On Hockey Day Minnesota, it also incorporated Spredfast, which aggregates various feeds.

Fleck feels that the occasional use of social media heightens its impact. “There’s a fine line between using it to enhance your broadcast and overdoing it,” he said. “It can be planned or happen organically, if a play goes viral,” etc.

So for now, it’s a case-by-case situation. “We had a social media reporter a couple of years ago,” he said, “but now she’s just a regular reporter, since all of our reporters are up to speed with how to distribute social media.”

A HAPPY MEDIUM

At Root Sports Northwest, Executive Producer Jon Bradford and company seem to have found a happy medium with the RSN’s approach. “We just do a couple of things,” said Bradford, “because we want to interact with, rather than push or pull from, our viewers.”

Roots Sports Media, the regional sports network for the Seattle Mariners, conducts a "Twitter Tuesday" contest with fans.

That includes Twitter Tuesday, when the Seattle Mariners’ broadcast team of Dave Sims and Mike Blowers conduct “Inside the Game” and ask fans to share their baseball knowledge. Then also ask one trivia question during the pregame show and four more during the game; that results in 500-700 hundred responses that are sorted via hashtags.

Root works with software creator/social media aggregator Tagboard on the “Ask Root” segment, where viewers are queried about where they are and what they’re doing during the broadcasts; and the “Ultimate Fan” segment, where the team polls viewers from states in the Pacific Northwest as to why that might be them.

Speaking of pushing and pulling, Turner Sports works with several large platforms, including Virzt, as well as startups. And like Root, they seem to have found a good place in the social media world by picking their spots, too.

“Sports and social media have a very natural, symbiotic relationship. Nothing is forced,” said Morgan Dewan, senior director of social media for Turner Sports. “Our producers [understand] how to weave social media reactions, commentary and content into the broadcast. Our goal is to never do social media integrations for social media’s sake. We want to enhance the storylines and provide compelling content for our analysts to react to.”

Most of Turner Sports’ social media integrations happen during its studio shows, including “Inside the NBA,” when it’s easier for the host to [address] the conversation taking place across social, according to Dewan. She adds that she and her crew have learned a great deal from “Bleacher Report,” another part of the Turner Sports portfolio. “They’re exceptional at this and have built a very impressive push/pull system, which connects their social properties to their app and [web] site,” she said.

Dewan stressed that, as a sports media company, it’s important for Turner Sports to understand where, and how, fans are consuming content. “We break down type of posts by day of week and time of day,” she said, “so that we can be more deliberate in our coverage and publishing cadence.”