A dispute between Comcast Xfinity and Bally Sports North has left many Minnesota Twins fans unable to watch telecasts of their team's games.
Comcast removed regional sports networks from its channel lineup and replaced them with a blue-purple screen with the headline “Bally Sports No Longer Available.”
Both companies issued conflicting statements about who is responsible for the situation, which comes as Bally Sports' owner, Diamond Sports, is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Comcast Xfinity subscribers watched it Wednesday in place of the Minnesota Twins game on the Bally Sports North channel. Comcast has removed Bally Sports from its channel lineup amid a dispute between the two companies.
Andrew Krueger MPR News
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins released a statement saying the team was “disappointed by this massive disruption for fans who simply wanted to watch the game.”
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“This situation is a commercial negotiation between Comcast and Bally's. The Twins have no role or say in this matter. We hope both parties can reach an agreement as soon as possible.” a Twins statement said.
Comcast issued a statement saying it had been “very flexible” with Diamond Sports during its bankruptcy proceedings. Comcast said Diamond chose not to exercise its option to extend the contract for another year.
“We would like to continue offering their network, but they have turned down multiple offers and we currently do not have the rights to this programming,” Comcast said, adding that they no longer have access to Bally Sports North. It added that it would give credits to customers who did. Most cost between $8 and $10 per month.
Byron Buxton of Minnesota celebrates while running the bases after hitting a home run in the bottom of the 9th inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox on April 23 in Minneapolis.
Stacey Bence | AP
Diamond Sports issued a statement saying it was Comcast that rejected the extension offer.
“Comcast has refused to engage in substantive discussions, even though Diamond has offered terms similar to those agreed to with our larger distributors. “We continue to seek an agreement with Comcast to resume broadcasting,” the company said.
Fans will continue to be able to access Barrie Sports North through other methods, including subscriptions to Fubo and DirecTV, the company said.
Minnesota Timberwolves games have been broadcast on Bally Sports North all season, but the team will be playing on national television as the second round of the NBA playoffs begins Saturday in Denver. The game will be broadcast on TNT.
