Bally Sports

Last updated
Bally Sports Regional Networks
Bally sports logo.svg
Type Regional sports network group
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaAvailable in most markets
(through regional affiliates)
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 720p (HDTV)
Ownership
Owner
Parent Diamond Sports Group
Key peopleAlvin Kwan (SVP, Strategy & Business Operations)
Sister channels Tennis Channel
History
LaunchedMarch 31, 2021(2 years ago) (2021-03-31)
Replaced Fox Sports Networks
Links
Website ballysports.com
Availability
Streaming media
Service(s) DirecTV Stream, FuboTV

The Bally Sports Regional Networks [1] are a group of regional sports networks in the United States owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint-venture company of the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Allen Media Group. The naming rights to the network were sold to casino operator Bally's Corporation.

Contents

The networks were formerly known as Fox Sports Networks and operated by News Corporation for most of their existence. They were acquired by Diamond Sports from The Walt Disney Company in 2019, as Disney was required to divest them by the U.S. Department of Justice as a condition of their own acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

Launched on March 31, 2021, the networks carry regional broadcasts of sporting events from various professional, collegiate and high school sports teams. Through its owned-and-operated networks and several other affiliates, Bally Sports programming is available to all or part of at least 33 states.

History

Beginnings

The networks of Bally Sports have a long history, with the origins of several of the networks dating to the 1980s and 1990s, as affiliates of the Prime Network (and to a lesser degree SportsChannel). In 1996, News Corporation and Liberty Media (the owner of Prime Network) announced that the Prime Sports networks would be rebranded under the new "Fox Sports Net" brand; [2] the Prime Sports-branded affiliates were officially relaunched as Fox Sports Net on November 1 of that year. [3] [4] [5] In 1997, News Corp and Liberty Media also purchased a 40% stake in Cablevision/NBC's SportsChannel networks which led those networks being rebranded as part of Fox Sports Net in early 1998 and bringing the total number of owned or affiliate networks to 18. [6] [7] [8] [9] In the years that followed, a series of other acquisitions and launches of new networks (along with a few closures) resulted in 22 owned and operated networks.

Acquisition by Diamond Sports Group from Disney

On December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced their intent to acquire 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion after the spin-off of certain businesses into a new entity (initially dubbed "new Fox", but ultimately named Fox Corporation). While the acquisition was originally slated to include Fox Sports' regional operations (which, presumably, would have been re-aligned with Disney's ESPN division), [10] [11] the Justice Department ordered that they be divested within 90 days of the completion of the acquisition due to the concentration of the market that ESPN would hold. [12] [13]

Sinclair Broadcast Group was mentioned as the most likely buyer for the other FSN networks, but would need the assistance of a private equity firm to help raise the cash needed for the purchase. [14] [15] The group's other sports properties included Stadium—a national sports network distributed via over-the-air digital television and internet streaming, Tennis Channel, as well as Marquee—a then-upcoming RSN devoted to the Chicago Cubs. [16]

On May 3, Sinclair officially announced that via its subsidiary Diamond Sports Group, it had agreed to purchase the networks for $10.6 billion, pending regulatory approval. At the same time, it was also revealed that Allen Media Group would hold an equity stake in the company and serve as a "content partner". [17]

The sale was completed on August 22, 2019 and included 21 of the 22 networks. The networks continued to temporarily use the Fox Sports branding under a transitional license agreement with Fox Corporation; Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley stated that there were plans to eventually rebrand them under either a new name, or to "partner with a brand who wants more exposure". There were also plans to increase non-event programming, and emphasis on sports betting in its programming. [18]

Due to a clause in the original sale, [19] Yankee Global Enterprises had a right of first refusal to purchase Fox's share in YES Network. [20] On August 29, 2019, an investor group including the Yankees, Sinclair, Amazon, and The Blackstone Group purchased Disney's 80% stake in the network for $3.47 billion. [21] Sinclair's share of the network is 20%. [22]

FuboTV dropped the channels in January 2020, [23] and YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV followed in October 2020. [24] [25] On November 4, 2020, Sinclair took a $4.23 billion write-down on the FSN purchase. [26]

Rebranding as Bally Sports

On November 17, 2020, it was reported by Sportico that Sinclair was considering rebranding the networks via a naming rights agreement, and was reportedly in talks with multiple companies involved in sports betting. [27] The next day, Sinclair announced that it had entered into an agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation to acquire the naming rights under a 10-year deal. This agreement will include integration of Bally's content on the channels and other Sinclair properties (including its television stations Stadium and Tennis Channel), and a warrant giving Sinclair the option to acquire a 14.9% stake in Bally's Corporation, and up to 24.9% if performance criteria are met. [28]

On January 27, 2021, Sinclair announced that the networks would be rebranded as Bally Sports on March 31. [29] Fox Sports Carolinas and Fox Sports Tennessee were discontinued, with any unique sports programming moved to the Bally Sports South and Southeast channels. To better reflect their target markets, Prime Ticket and SportsTime Ohio were also rebranded as Bally Sports SoCal and Bally Sports Great Lakes, respectively. [30] [31]

In preparation for the rebrand, new studio sets were constructed at all of FSN's outlets, while Drive Studio produced a new on-air graphics package built upon its existing work for Marquee. On-air graphics feature a new consistent scorebug in the bottom-left of the screen, which is combined into the ticker. Executive vice president Michael Connelly explained that the setup was designed to eventually allow for the integration of sports betting-related information such as lines and props. [32] [33]

On Opening Day, the newly-rebranded channels aired a joint special, Bally Sports Big Opening Day. It was produced by Stadium, hosted by Michael Kim, Bally Sports SoCal’s Kristina Pink and Bally Sports Southeast’s Eric Collins, and featured coverage of teams and events across Bally Sports and Sinclair's sports networks. [34]

On June 23, 2022, Bally Sports soft-launched a direct-to-consumer service known as Bally Sports Plus (or Bally Sports+) in selected markets. It launched nationally in the remainder of the networks' footprint on September 26. [35]

Bankruptcy

On February 15, 2023, Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports, failed to make a $140 million interest payment, instead opting for a 30-day grace period to make the payment. [36] On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; its restructuring plan included a proposal for the company to be separated from the Sinclair Broadcast Group into a standalone company. [37]

During its bankruptcy, Diamond has missed payments to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and to Raycom Sports for its ACC on Regional Sports Networks package and the Orange Bowl for its Orange Bowl Classic men's college basketball tournament. [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] Diamond also entered grace periods for their payments to the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds of MLB, which they eventually made. [45] [46]

On May 31, 2023, Diamond officially missed a second payment to the Padres, and the Padres' television rights were returned to Major League Baseball. Because Bally Sports San Diego, which aired Padres games, is a joint venture between the Padres and Diamond it is technically not in bankruptcy. Therefore this missed payment did not have the same bankruptcy protections that Diamond's other missed payments had. [47] [48] On June 1, 2023, after a two-day long hearing, the bankruptcy judge ordered Diamond to pay the other Major League Baseball teams they missed payments to fully within five days. [49] Bally Sports gave up the rights to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 18, 2023. [50] Furthermore, with Bally Sports Arizona also losing local broadcast rights to both the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury to Gray Television (via KTVK and KPHE-LD, respectively) in April of that year and then the Arizona Coyotes to Scripps Sports (via KASW) in early October, Diamond Sports Group ultimately shut down Bally Sports Arizona on October 21, 2023, becoming the first official casualty of the bankruptcy. [51] [52] [53] On June 14, 2023, Diamond rejected its contract with Raycom Sports to distribute a package of Atlantic Coast Conference games, freeing Raycom to sell the package to other networks. [54] A month later, Raycom announced that The CW had bought the rights. [55]

On November 6, 2023, Diamond Sports and the National Basketball Association reached a one-year agreement that will result in the contracts for NBA teams airing on Diamond expiring after the 2023–24 NBA season. Across the board, all NBA teams airing on Diamond Sports will receive a 16% reduction in the money they receive from Diamond Sports, but will be able to sell 10 games to local over-the-air networks. [56] [40] On December 30, 2023, the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans reached agreements with Gray Television to air 10 over-the-air games in local markets. The games will continue to be produced by Bally Sports. [57] [58] On December 20, 2023, Diamond Sports and the National Hockey League reached a similar agreement to the NBA's November 6 deal that will also result in the contracts for all NHL teams airing on Diamond expiring after the 2023–24 NHL season, pending approval by the bankruptcy court. [59]

On January 17, 2024, Diamond Sports announced a restructuring agreement after receiving a minority investment from Amazon, and reaching an agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group for a $495 million cash payment to settle an earlier lawsuit. Under the deal, the Bally Sports app will be folded into Amazon Prime Video. The restructuring still needs to be approved by the bankruptcy court. [60]

Networks

Owned-and-operated

NetworkRegion servedFormerly
operated as
Notes
Bally Sports Detroit Michigan
Northwestern Ohio
Northeastern Indiana
Northeast Wisconsin
Fox Sports Detroit (1997–2021)
Bally Sports Florida Florida SportsChannel Florida (1987–2000)
Fox Sports Florida (2000–2021)
Bally Sports Great Lakes Ohio
Northwestern Pennsylvania
Southwestern New York
parts of Kentucky & West Virginia
SportsTime Ohio (2006–2021)Shares programming with sister network Bally Sports Ohio.
Bally Sports Indiana Indiana Fox Sports Indiana (2006–2021)Shares programming with sister network Bally Sports Midwest.
Bally Sports Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas
Fox Sports Kansas City (2008–2021) Kansas City Royals have a minority interest. Shares programming with sister network Bally Sports Midwest.
Bally Sports Midwest Missouri
southern Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Prime Sports Midwest (1989–1996)
Fox Sports Midwest (1996–2021)
St. Louis Cardinals have 30% equity stake. Shares programming with sister networks Bally Sports Indiana and Bally Sports Kansas City.
Bally Sports New Orleans Louisiana Fox Sports New Orleans (2012–2021)Carries programming from sister network Bally Sports Southwest.
Bally Sports North Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota
Midwest Sports Channel (1989–2001)
Fox Sports North (2001–2021)
Bally Sports Ohio Ohio
Kentucky
Eastern Indiana
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Southwestern New York
parts of West Virginia
SportsChannel Ohio (1989–1998)
Fox Sports Ohio (1998–2021)
Separate subfeeds exist for the Cincinnati and Cleveland markets with the Reds having partial ownership in the Cincinnati feed of the network.
Bally Sports Oklahoma Oklahoma Fox Sports Oklahoma (2008–2021)Carries programming from sister network Bally Sports Southwest.
Bally Sports San Diego San Diego County
Imperial County
Palm Springs Area
Las Vegas Valley
Southern Arizona
Hawaii
Fox Sports San Diego (2012–2021) San Diego Padres owned a 20% equity stake prior to the team parting ways with the network on May 30, 2023. Carries programming from sister networks Bally Sports SoCal and Bally Sports West.
Bally Sports SoCal Southern California
Southern Nevada
Hawaii
Fox Sports West 2 (1997–2006)
Prime Ticket (2006–2021)
Shares programming with sister network Bally Sports San Diego.
Bally Sports South Georgia
Alabama
Kentucky
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
SportSouth (1990–1996)
Fox Sports South (1996–2021)
Shares broadcast rights with sister network Bally Sports Southeast.
Bally Sports Southeast Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Tennessee
Western North Carolina
Turner South (1999–2006)
SportSouth (2006–2015)
Fox Sports Southeast (2015–2021)
Shares broadcast rights with sister network Bally Sports South.
Bally Sports Southwest Texas
Arkansas
northern Louisiana
parts of New Mexico
Home Sports Entertainment (1983–1994)
Prime Sports Southwest (1994–1996)
Fox Sports Southwest (1996–2021)
Texas Rangers have 10% equity stake.
Bally Sports Sun FloridaSunshine Network (1988–2004)
Sun Sports (2004–2015)
Fox Sports Sun (2015–2021)
Shares broadcast rights with sister network Bally Sports Florida.
Bally Sports West Southern California
Southern Nevada
Hawaii
Prime Ticket (1985–1994)
Prime Sports West (1994–1996)
Fox Sports West (1996–2021)
Los Angeles Angels have 25% equity stake. Shares programming with sister network Bally Sports San Diego.
Bally Sports Wisconsin Wisconsin
western Upper Peninsula of Michigan
eastern Minnesota
northwestern Illinois
Iowa
Fox Sports Wisconsin (2007–2021)Carries some programming from sister network Bally Sports North. Brewers obtained minority interest in 2021.

Affiliates

NetworkRegion servedFormerly
operated as
Notes
Marquee Sports Network Northern and Central Illinois
Iowa
Eastern and Central Nebraska
Northern, Western and Central Indiana
Southwestern Michigan
Southeastern Wisconsin
Co-owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Chicago Cubs.
YES Network New York
North and Central Jersey
Southwestern Connecticut
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Diamond Sports has minority share. Select programming airs instead on MSG Sportsnet/MSG Network
MSG Sportsnet/MSG Network Cablevision Sports 3 (1976–1979)
SportsChannel New York (1979–1998)
FSN New York (1998–2008)
Select programming airs instead on YES Network.

Previously owned-and-operated

NetworkRegion servedFormerly
operated as
Notes
Bally Sports Arizona Arizona
New Mexico
Utah
Southern Nevada
Fox Sports Arizona (1996–2021)Shut down services on October 21, 2023 after losing airing rights to Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Arizona Coyotes games throughout 2023.

Teams by network

NetworkMLBNBANHLOtherTeams from neighboring networks
(Availability may be limited)
Bally Sports Detroit Detroit Tigers Detroit Pistons Detroit Red Wings Detroit Lions (NFL)*
Bally Sports Florida Miami Marlins Orlando Magic Florida Panthers Miami Sharks
Bally Sports Great Lakes Cleveland Guardians Cleveland Browns (NFL)*Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) (Ohio)
Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) (Ohio)
Bally Sports Indiana Indiana Pacers Indiana Fever (WNBA)Cincinnati Reds (MLB) (Ohio)
Detroit Pistons (NBA) (Detroit)
St. Louis Blues (NHL) (Midwest)
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (Midwest)
Bally Sports Kansas City Kansas City Royals Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) (North)
Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) (Oklahoma)
St. Louis Blues (NHL) (Midwest)
Bally Sports Midwest St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Blues Kansas City Royals (MLB) (Kansas City)
Indiana Pacers (NBA) (Indiana)
Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) (Southeast)
Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) (North)
Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) (Oklahoma)
Bally Sports New Orleans New Orleans Pelicans Dallas Stars (NHL) (Southwest)
Texas Rangers (MLB) (Southwest)
Bally Sports North Minnesota Twins Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota Wild Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Bally Sports Ohio Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Cavaliers Columbus Blue Jackets
Bally Sports Oklahoma Oklahoma City Thunder Dallas Stars (NHL) (Southwest)
Kansas City Royals (MLB) (Kansas City)
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (Midwest)
Texas Rangers (MLB) (Southwest)
Bally Sports San Diego Anaheim Ducks (NHL) (SoCal)
Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (SoCal)
Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (West)
Bally Sports SoCal Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Clippers Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Rams (NFL)*
Bally Sports South Atlanta Braves Carolina Hurricanes
Nashville Predators
Atlanta Dream (WNBA)Cincinnati Reds (MLB) (Ohio)
Indiana Pacers (NBA) (Indiana)
New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) (New Orleans)
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (Midwest)
Bally Sports Southeast Atlanta Braves Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies
Atlanta Dream (WNBA)
Cincinnati Reds (MLB) (Ohio)
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (Midwest)
Bally Sports Southwest Texas Rangers Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Stars Kansas City Royals (MLB) (Kansas City)
Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) (Southeast)
Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) (Oklahoma)
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (Midwest)
Bally Sports Sun Tampa Bay Rays Miami Heat Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL)*
Bally Sports West Los Angeles AngelsLos Angeles Clippers†Anaheim Ducks†
Los Angeles Kings
Bally Sports Wisconsin Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Wild (NHL) (North)

* Team-related shows and/or game replays only
† Occasional game telecasts

National programming

Current

Former

Bally Sports+

Bally Sports+ is Bally Sports's over-the-top subscription streaming platform, which offers livestreams and market-specific video-on-demand content from its individual regional networks. In addition to offering live game telecasts from the Bally Sports regional networks, the service also provides game replays, team-centered studio programs, outdoor programming, and selected programs syndicated to the network’s national and regional feeds.

In December 2020, Sinclair announced plans to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service based around the linear Bally Sports networks. The service was originally targeted for a 2021 launch, though it was delayed due to Bally Sports needing to negotiate over-the-top streaming rights with the teams. [71] Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley stated that the service was meant to target cord cutters, whom the company felt were underserved in the regional sports market. [72]

Bally Sports+ was soft-launched on June 23, 2022, initially available to customers residing in the service areas of Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Wisconsin, and Bally Sports Florida/Bally Sports Sun —the five markets where Bally Sports was able to negotiate streaming rights to the local MLB team. The service launched three weeks after NESN launched NESN 360, the first DTC streaming service ever offered by an American regional sports network, on June 1. [73] [74]

The service—which is sold for $19.99/month or $189.99/year—uses the same infrastructure as the Bally Sports app, and was initially available on smartphones and tablet devices. Due to regional rights restrictions, the service is only available to users in markets serviced by a network owned or affiliated with Bally Sports. [73]

In August 2022, Bally Sports announced that Bally Sports+ would expand to the rest of its markets on September 26, 2022. [75]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports South</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports South (BSSO) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports Networks. The network carries regional coverage of professional and collegiate sports events from across the Southern United States, along with other sporting events and programming from Bally Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Ohio</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Ohio is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and is operated as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events in the state of Ohio, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Cleveland and Cincinnati, which are broadcast on separate programming feeds, as well as Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Great Lakes</span> Regional sports network in northeast Ohio, United States

Bally Sports Great Lakes is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel, which is a sister network to Bally Sports Ohio, broadcasts statewide coverage of professional, collegiate and high school sports events throughout northern Ohio, including the Cleveland area.

A regional sports network (RSN) in the United States and Canada is a television channel that presents sports programming to a local media market or geographical region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Florida</span> Regional sports network

Bally Sports Florida is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Southeast</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Southeast (BSSE) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout the southeastern United States, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Atlanta, Tennessee, and Charlotte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports North</span> Regional sports network in the Upper Midwest and Minnesota

Bally Sports North is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. The channel broadcasts coverage of sporting events involving teams located in the Upper Midwest region, with a focus on professional and collegiate sports teams based in Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Midwest</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Midwest is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts regional event coverage of sports teams throughout the Midwestern United States, most prominently, professional sports teams based in St. Louis, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Southwest</span> Texan regional sports network

Bally Sports Southwest is a Texas-based regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional, collegiate and high school sports events throughout the South Central United States. The network is headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Irving, Texas, with master control hubbed at Bally Sports Networks' operations center in Atlanta, which houses master control operations for its regional networks in the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Wisconsin</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Wisconsin (BSWI) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Operating as the "Wisconsin" sub-feed of Fox Sports North until 2007, the channel was known as Fox Sports Wisconsin until 2021. It broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout the state of Wisconsin, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Milwaukee, namely the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. It primarily operates from a studio/office facility in downtown Milwaukee, with secondary offices and production studio/office hub based in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports SoCal</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports SoCal is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of Bally Sports, along with its sister network Bally Sports West. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional and collegiate sports events in California, focusing primarily on teams based in the Greater Los Angeles area. Bally Sports SoCal is available on cable providers throughout Southern California, the Las Vegas Valley and Hawaii; it is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Arizona</span> American regional sports network (1996–2023)

Bally Sports Arizona (BSAZ) was an American regional sports network (RSN). The channel broadcast professional, collegiate and high school sports events, with a primary focus on Phoenix-area teams. It was available on most cable providers throughout Arizona and available nationwide on satellite provider DirecTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Kansas City</span> Regional sports network in Kansas City

Bally Sports Kansas City (BSKC) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts coverage of professional, collegiate, and high school sports events both within and outside the Kansas City area. It maintains offices at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Oklahoma</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Oklahoma is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel provides statewide coverage of sports events within the state of Oklahoma, namely the Oklahoma City Thunder, the state's major college sports teams, and high school sports. Bally Sports Oklahoma is available on cable providers throughout Oklahoma, and nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Indiana</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports Indiana (BSIN) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local professional and high school sports coverage throughout the state of Indiana, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Indianapolis, namely the NBA's Indiana Pacers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports San Diego</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports San Diego is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Prior to the team parting ways with the network in 2023, the San Diego Padres owned a 20% stake. It was launched on March 17, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports New Orleans</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports New Orleans is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local coverage of professional and collegiate sports events within New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports app</span> Bally Sportss over-the-top service

The Bally Sports app is the video streaming service of the former Fox Sports Networks, now Bally Sports regional sports networks. The app replaces Fox Sports Go (FSGO), the app of the former Fox Sports Networks. The service is available for customers of select cable and satellite TV providers, as well as the DirecTV Stream over-the-top service.

Diamond Sports Group LLC is an American media and entertainment company operating as a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, and partnered with Allen Media Group. The company operates Bally Sports, a group of regional sports channels that was formerly known as the Fox Sports Networks.

The following is a general overview of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on television in the 2020s. There have been no new national media contracts during this period. Locally three NBA teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, moved all or some of their games from regional sports networks to over-the-air television networks.

References

  1. Bally Sports Regional Networks
  2. "FOX GIVES NEW NAME TO SPORTS ALLIANCE: FOX SPORTS NET". Sports Business Journal. July 3, 1996. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  3. R. Thomas Umstead (July 8, 1996). "Liberty Sports regionals will become Fox Sports net". Multichannel News . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  4. "FOX SPORTS NET DEBUTS ON NOV. 1". The Columbian . Associated Press. September 13, 1996. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. "FOX SPORTS NET ANNOUNCES DEBUT FOR NOVEMBER 1". Sports Business Journal. September 13, 1996. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  6. "Fox putting together national Sports Net // Changes ahead for SportsChannel". Chicago Sun-Times . June 24, 1997. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  7. John M. Higgins (June 30, 1997). "National net keys regional deal. (Fox Sports, Liberty Media Corp. challenge ESPN with stake in SportsChannel)". Broadcasting & Cable . Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  8. "SPORTS LANDSCAPE ALTERED WITH FOX/LIBERTY-CABLEVISION DEAL". Sports Business Journal. June 23, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  9. John M. Higgins (June 23, 1997). "TCI/News Corp. $850M SportsChannel deal close. (Tele-Communications Inc, proposed acquisition of cable sports network)". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  10. Ben Munson (December 6, 2017). "Disney's pursuit of Fox RSNs could be big boost for ESPN". FierceCable. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  11. Goldman, David (2017-12-14). "Disney buys 21st Century Fox: Who gets what". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  12. Littleton, Cynthia (June 27, 2018). "Justice Department Approves Disney's Acquisition of 21st Century Fox With Divestiture of Regional Sports Networks". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  13. "US gives Disney-Fox deal antitrust approval". CNBC. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  14. Wilen, Holden (Oct 3, 2018). "Sinclair Broadcast CEO eyes deal for Fox's regional sports networks". Baltimore Business Journal. American Business Journals. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  15. "Sinclair Considers Private Equity to Purchase Fox Sports Networks". insideradio.com. 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  16. Rosenthal, Phil (13 February 2019). "The Cubs are starting a new TV channel in 2020. Here's what that means for fans". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  17. Littleton, Cynthia (May 3, 2019). "Sinclair Clinches Disney-Regional Sports Networks Deal, Byron Allen Joins as Partner". Variety. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  18. "Sinclair CEO see 'massive opportunity' with rebranding of Fox sports networks". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  19. Soshnick, Scott (June 14, 2018). "Yankees Consider Buying Back YES If Fox Sells Assets". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  20. Flint, Joe; Beaton, Andrew; Gottfried, Miriam (October 30, 2018). "Sports Channels Draw Interest From Private Equity, 'New Fox' and Ice Cube". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  21. Feiner, Lauren (29 August 2019). "Disney sells its stake in YES Network to investor group that includes Amazon in $3.47 billion deal". CNBC. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  22. "Sinclair Acquires 20% Interest In YES Network". www.prnewswire.com. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Aug 29, 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  23. Sinclair’s Fox RSNs dropped by FuboTV - Sam Carp, SportsPro, 2 January 2020
  24. YouTube TV Is Dropping Fox Regional Sports Nets, YES Network After Sinclair Standoff - Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 February 2020
  25. Bumbaca, Chris. "Hulu drops Sinclair Broadcast Group's Fox Sports Regional Networks, including YES". USA Today . Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  26. "Sinclair Posts Higher Political Ad Revenue, Takes $4.2B Local Sports Charge". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  27. Feldman, Eben Novy-Williams,Jacob (2020-11-17). "Sinclair Exploring Sale of RSN Naming Rights to Betting Companies". Sportico . Retrieved 2020-11-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. Novy-Williams, Eben (2020-11-19). "Bally's Buys Sinclair RSN Naming Rights As Part of Sports Betting Push". Sportico.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  29. "Bally Sports, Coming March 31". YouTube (Fox Sports Midwest). March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  30. Balderston, Michael (2021-01-27). "Sinclair, Bally Reveal Bally Sports Rebrand for RSNs". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  31. "Farewell, Fox Sports West. Hello, Bally Sports". Los Angeles Times. 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  32. Dachman, Jason (30 March 2021). "How Sinclair Pulled Off the Gargantuan Bally Sports Networks Rebrand Amid the Pandemic". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  33. Yellon, Al (2021-04-09). "Some thoughts about Marquee Sports Network's new scorebox and scoreboxes in general". Bleed Cubbie Blue. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  34. Dachman, Jason (March 30, 2021). "How Sinclair Pulled Off the Gargantuan Bally Sports Networks Rebrand Amid the Pandemic". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  35. Bucholtz, Andrew (2022-08-17). "Bally Sports+ has an official all-markets launch date". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  36. Ourand, John (15 February 2023). "Diamond Sports Group not making $140M interest payment". Sports Business Journal . Leaders Group. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  37. Hayes, Dade (2023-03-15). "Diamond Sports Group, Owner Of Bally Networks Once Run By Fox, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  38. Sullivan, Vince (October 10, 2023). "Diamond Sports Rejects College Basketball Deal In Ch. 11". Law360 . Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  39. Kaplan, Daniel (October 5, 2023). "NBA, NHL in limbo waiting on next move in Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy". Awful Announcing. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  40. 1 2 Ourand, John (November 6, 2023). "SBJ Media: Inside the NBA-Diamond deal". Sports Business Journal . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  41. Grant, Evan (April 19, 2023). "Bally Sports Southwest parent company fails to make April rights payment to Rangers". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  42. Coffey, Brendan (March 14, 2023). "DIAMOND SPORTS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY; DIAMONDBACKS OWED $30 MILLION". Sportico. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  43. Ourand, John (April 3, 2023). "SBJ Media: Twins, Guardians see rights squeeze". Sports Business Journal . Leaders Group. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  44. Ourand, John (April 17, 2023). "SBJ Media: Cincy -- Ground Zero for MLB's RSN fight". Sports Business Journal . Leaders Group. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  45. Ourand, John (March 17, 2023). "Sources: Diamond Sports misses rights payment to D-Backs". Sports Business Journal . Leaders Group. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  46. Kiesewetter, John (May 2, 2023). "Cincinnati Reds games to remain on Bally Sports Ohio". WVXU . Cincinnati Public Radio. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  47. Lafayette, Jon (May 31, 2023). "Diamond Sports Group Pulls Plug on Bally Sports San Diego Padres Games". Next TV. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  48. Ourand, John (May 30, 2023). "SBJ Unpacks: Padres' deal with Bally Sports ends tonight". Sports Business Journal . Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  49. Gonzalez, Aiden (June 1, 2023). "Diamond Sports Group ordered to fully pay MLB teams' contracts". ESPN. Walt Disney Corporation. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  50. Mackie, Theo (July 18, 2023). "Diamondbacks games no longer to be carried on Bally Sports; MLB moving them to new outlets". AzCentral. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  51. "Financially troubled Bally Sports Arizona will no longer provide coverage of local teams". 12news.com. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  52. Joe Lucia (October 13, 2023). "Bally Sports Arizona shuts down with terse tweet". Awful Announcing.
  53. Eric Fisher (October 16, 2023). "Arizona RSN Shutdown Ushers in New Era of Local Sports Consumption". Front Office Sports.
  54. Frankel, Daniel (June 15, 2023). "Bally Sports Kicks Another Asset to the Curb: ACC Football and Basketball Games". Next TV. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  55. Petski, Denise (July 13, 2023). "The CW Lands Rights To Atlantic Coast Conference College Football & Basketball Games Through 2026-27" . Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  56. Ourand, John (November 6, 2023). "Diamond Sports reaches deal with NBA". Sports Business Journal . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  57. "Atlanta Hawks Partner with Gray's Peachtree TV to Broadcast 10 Games Free, Over the Air". NBA.com (Press release). December 30, 2023.
  58. "WAFB will televise 10 of this season's Pelicans games" (Press release). WAFB. December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  59. "NHL agrees to keep 11 teams' local broadcasts on Bally Sports". Associated Press. ESPN. December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  60. Szalai, Georg (January 17, 2024). "Amazon to Buy Minority Stake in Diamond Sports, Sinclair to Pay $495M in Settlement". Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  61. "MVC Announces Basketball Package on Bally Sports / NBC Sports Chicago". 8 October 2021.
  62. "Bally's Corp. Buys AVP beach volleyball tour". Associated Press . 13 July 2021.
  63. "Bally Sports to broadcast 2024 Caribbean Series baseball tournament live from Miami". Bally Sports. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  64. "World Poker Tour Television Episodes Airing on Bally Sports". 5 October 2021.
  65. "Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off TV Clearances" (PDF). Holiday Face-Off. Gazelle Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  66. "Miami Open TV schedule".
  67. "Broadcast Information: Florida vs. USF".
  68. "College Football Kickoff 2021: Stadium Plans Bally Sports–Style Graphics, Real-Time Fan Interaction for 25-Game Schedule". 2 September 2021.
  69. "Basketball schedule for today".
  70. "Sinclair Sports Group and AT&T Launch Strategic Collaboration Featuring Shams Charania for the 2021-22 NBA Season". Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  71. Moraine, Julie (December 2, 2021). "Sinclair Offers Direct-To-Consumer Sports Streaming Service". Gambling News.
  72. "Sports Media: Sinclair sets soft launch date for Bally Sports+ streaming service". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  73. 1 2 Daniel Frankel (June 21, 2022). "Sinclair's Bally Sports Plus Streaming App To Launch June 23". Broadcast & Cable. Future US.
  74. "NESN becomes first U.S. RSN to launch full OTT service". Awful Announcing. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  75. "Bally Sports+ streaming service to become widely available Sept. 26". Bally Sports. August 17, 2022.