Diamond pulled out of all Barrie regional sports networks with Xfinity amid a financial restructuring after contract negotiations broke down.
MINNEAPOLIS — Life isn't easy for Minnesota sports fans.
There's been a decades-long title drought for most major teams in the market (with the exception of the Lynx), but the latest issue is that Twins fans' broadcasts will go dark as the Twins ride a nine-game winning streak. Contains.
Trouble at Diamond Sports, the parent company of Barry Sports North, continues as contract negotiations with Comcast Xfinity broke down, leading to Barry's disappearance late Tuesday night. The Twins' game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon will be the first affected, but likely not the last.
Comcast announced it would aggressively credit customers $8 to $10 a month for the duration of the power outage.
“We were very flexible during the months that Diamond Sports Group was going through bankruptcy proceedings, and last fall we extended the Bally Sports Regional Network and unilaterally extended it for an additional year. “We would like to continue offering their network, but they made multiple offers,” Comcast said in a statement Tuesday. “We have now lost the rights to this program.” We proactively credit related costs to our customers. Most customers automatically receive an $8 to $10 credit each month. ”
Diamond shifted the blame to Comcast for the conflict and the ensuing loss of sports fans' ability to watch their favorite teams on the Xfinity network.
“We are disappointed that Comcast has rejected the proposed extension that would have kept our channel on the air, indicating that Comcast intends to prevent fans from watching their favorite local teams,” Diamond Sports said. said in a statement released. Diamond declined to engage in substantive discussions, despite offering terms similar to those agreed to with our larger distributors. We are a fan-first company and will continue to seek an agreement with Comcast to resume broadcasting. At this critical time for Diamond, we hope Comcast recognizes its important and mutually beneficial role with Diamond. [Regional Sports Networks] Play in the media ecosystem. ”
Diamond Sports Group said Comcast-Xfinity customers can continue to access Bally Sports content through Fubo and DirecTV streams or the Bally Sports-Plus app. Here's the problem. Bally Sports Plus does not carry Twins games.
The Twins insist they played no role in the dispute. “The Twins have no role or voice in this matter and we hope both parties can reach an agreement as soon as possible,” the club said in a statement to athletic director Reggie Wilson overnight. Stated.
Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2023 to reorganize and deal with $8 billion in debt. The Twins are one of a wide range of professional sports teams across the United States that have been affected by the power outage that began on Tuesday at Comcast-Xfinity.
The question is how long the contract stalemate will last. In addition to covering the Twins, Bally Sports North also covers the Timberwolves, Lynx, and Wild.
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