Diamond Sports, which owns the television rights to 11 MLB teams, and Major League Baseball are working toward a deal that would give Diamond some certainty over the short term, specifically which teams it will or will not broadcast during the 2024 MLB season. We are working on this. Diamond is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and could very well be dissolved as part of a restructuring plan starting in 2024.
But through bankruptcy proceedings, the diamond could exist in a different form and exist beyond 2024. Diamond and its creditors are in talks with major streaming partner Amazon to craft such a proposal, which would ultimately require court approval, people briefed on the talks said Tuesday. revealed. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Amazon’s potential investment in Diamond.
MLB and Diamond Sports declined to comment. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.
Negotiations are said to be ongoing and are generating positive momentum, people briefed on the talks said. But the potential impact on baseball is complex and limited.
Diamond currently owns the rights to just under 40 teams in the MLB, NBA, and NHL. If the deal goes through, Amazon will be able to broadcast teams for which Diamond holds digital or streaming rights. But it’s important to note that Diamond doesn’t own the digital rights to every team it broadcasts.
Diamond currently carries telecasts for 11 MLB teams through various Bally-branded regional sports networks: Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Rays. , Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers.
However, Diamond reportedly currently holds the digital rights to only five of these teams: the Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, and Rays.
Therefore, even if Diamond and Amazon reach a court-approved agreement, Diamond would not be able to stream games from any other MLB team through Amazon. Of course, other teams and MLB may negotiate with Diamond for greater access to digital rights, but MLB and Diamond disagree on the value of MLB’s streaming rights.
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