[W. Knight]

Staying with Bally, the Arizona Family group of stations (KTVK/KPHO Phoenix and KPHE statewide) announced a deal with both Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury to bring free local matches. The two teams previously were affiliated with Bally Sports Arizona instead.

But seems like Diamond Sports won't go down without a fight.

And the deal is a no-go, at least for now:

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez, however, ruled that the company could not yet move on from its existing contract with Diamond Sports Group, a bankrupt subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI.O) that broadcasts games through its Bally Sports TV channels.

U.S. bankruptcy law protects debtors from having their contracts modified or terminated without their consent, and Lopez ruled that the Suns' new TV deal was void because it interfered with the Diamond Sports' contractual right to negotiate contract extension.

Lopez did not award Diamond Sports any monetary damages on Wednesday, but said that he would consider a request for damages at a later hearing.

The Suns' attorneys argued that its TV deal with Diamond expired with the end of the 2022-2023 regular season, and that the new deal would not interfere with Diamond's rights under its existing contract.

Lopez was not persuaded, saying that the Suns' "media blitz" touted the new contract as a done deal despite "one line in the press release" about the Diamond Sports bankruptcy.

From www.reuters.com 

US bankruptcy judge blocks NBA team Phoenix Suns' new TV deal | Reuters
A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Wednesday blocked the NBA's Phoenix Suns from mo…
  Source: www.reuters.com

[W. Knight]

The MLB has published they will allow them to continue airing RSN games on Bally Sports to ensure continued availability of these matches; however, the MLB Advanced Media contingency plan is still onboard in case Bally decides to stop airing them.

twitter.com 

First example of the latter case: San Diego Padres.
twitter.com 

The move, which was announced late Tuesday night, was made after Diamond Sports Group, a subsidiary of the Sinclair Broadcast Group that operates under the name Bally Sports, failed to make a payment to the team that had its grace period end on Tuesday.

“While we’re disappointed that Diamond Sports Group failed to live up to their contractual agreement with the club, we are taking this opportunity to reimagine the distribution model,” Noah Garden, M.L.B.’s chief revenue officer, said in a statement.

(www.nytimes.com )

MLB Takes Over Padres Broadcasts After Bally Sports Misses Payment - The New Yor…
M.L.B. will retain San Diego’s broadcast team and will offer in-market streaming…
  Source: www.nytimes.com

They're also set to be paid by the League:
twitter.com 

[Medianext.MX]

First example of the latter case: San Diego Padres.
twitter.com 

Here's a behind the scenes look at how the new production is done, which is very much in line to what MLB Network does. Some tidbits:


[*]MLB retains most Bally Sports production staff, mostly freelance, but producer roles are now MLB Network staff
[*]MLB continues outsourcing production services to Mobile TV Group, whilst hiring additional technical personnel from a local production outfit
[*]MLB still uses the existing Padres tech stack and production facilities, but enhances it with network-level production and new camera shots
[*]Wraparound shows are no longer broadcast from a studio set, they are back at the field, but with a more dynamic presentation


www.sportsvideo.org 

Inside MLB Local Media’s Launch of San Diego Padres Productions and What It Mean…
Largely lost in all the media chatter surrounding the San Diego Padres’ departur…
  Source: www.sportsvideo.org

MLB's Padres broadcasts are being distributed not only through the MLB.tv streamer, but also through DIRECTV (satellite-only), AT&T U-verse, Spectrum and Cox. DIRECTV, U-verse and Spectrum get a standalone part-time channel, whilst Cox air the games through community channel YurView California (a sort of reunion, the channel aired Padres games between 1997 and 2012, when Fox Sports/Bally took over the local rights). The games are also streamed through FuboTV.

www.sportsvideo.org 

MLB To Produce, Distribute All San Diego Padres Games Starting Tonight Following…
The next domino in the Diamond Sports Group saga has fallen. Starting tonight, M…
  Source: www.sportsvideo.org

They are ready to take more teams in the due course: Bally has reportedly successfully paid the Texas Rangers (the deadline was Thursday), but other teams might be ready to switch to MLBAM coverage and production.

www.nexttv.com 

Diamond Appears Ready To Cut More MLB Clubs Loose from Bally Sports as Hard Dead…
Sinclair subsidiary Diamond Sports Group has already used federal bankruptcy pro…
  Source: www.nexttv.com

www.nexttv.com 

Diamond Pays the Texas Rangers, Keeps Them On Bally Sports Southwest | Next TV
Rangers are among several MLB teams the bankrupt Sinclair subsidiary is deciding…
  Source: www.nexttv.com

---

And the deal is a no-go, at least for now:
From www.reuters.com 

The Phoenix Mercury deal was allowed to proceed eventually, with both 3TV (KTVK) and the Arizona’s Family Sports Network (KPHE 44) airing the first local game (the first game, a road game, was nationally televised by ESPN) on May 25.

www.azfamily.com 

Watch the Phoenix Mercury take on the Minnesota Lynx Thursday night on 3TV
The Mercury take on the Minnesota Linx at 7 p.m. in downtown Phoenix.
  Source: www.azfamily.com

Since its launch, the KPHE signal has been expanded to address viewer reception concerns (KPHE is a low-power station), as a result, its signal is now broadcast in the place of what was its 24/7 weather subchannel, greatly expanding its availability in the Phoenix DMA. Additionally, it has also expanded to Tucson, where it now occupies a subchannel of sister Gray station KOLD 13.

www.azfamily.com 

Watch the Phoenix Mercury take on Dallas Wings on Arizona’s Family
After Friday night's loss, the Mercury are looking to bounce back vs. the W…
  Source: www.azfamily.com

---

Bally is also in the brink of losing more rights: a bankruptcy court has asked Gray to end its contract to air with the networks for regional ACC football and college basketball games. Gray produced the games through Raycom Sports, an asset they inherited with the merger.

www.nexttv.com 

Bally Sports Kicks Another Asset to the Curb: ACC Football and Basketball Games …
Bankrupt Sinclair subsidiary Diamond Sports Group tells Raycom to find another d…
  Source: www.nexttv.com

[RhysJR]

ESPN have layed off 20 of their on-air talent, with more high profile departures likely soon.

www.theguardian.com 

ESPN lays off about 20 on-air talent as part of ‘cost savings’ by Disney | ESPN …
ESPN has reportedly laid off about 20 on-air personalities, including some of th…
  Source: www.theguardian.com

[sky303]

Really a shame about Suzy Kolber, one of the people they've cost-cutted, she was one the first people to show up when ESPN 2 launched almost 30 years ago (1 October 1993). This is back when ESPN 2 was its own thing and not just ESPN's rerun and overspill channel.

[W. Knight]

The Phoenix Mercury deal was allowed to proceed eventually, with both 3TV (KTVK) and the Arizona’s Family Sports Network (KPHE 44) airing the first local game (the first game, a road game, was nationally televised by ESPN) on May 25.

And Diamond had backed down from their suit:
twitter.com 

[Rdd]

Meanwhile the CW has picked up a package of college football and basketball ultimately sublicensed from ESPN.

www.espn.com 

ACC, CW strike broadcast deal to air 50 football, basketball games - ESPN
This fall, the ACC will begin airing football and basketball events on the CW Ne…
  Source: www.espn.com

[Brekkie]

Did The CW show much sport under their old ownership?

[SHADOWNINJA]

Did The CW show much sport under their old ownership?

Not counting the previous games produced by Raycom Sports (since they were aired by the affiliates and not The CW themselves), I would say no.

[Medianext.MX]

First example of the latter case: San Diego Padres.
twitter.com 
(www.nytimes.com )

They're also set to be paid by the League:
twitter.com 

The Diamondbacks might be the next in the line, as it prepares to launch a new part-time channel for the the team's DMA zone, and are using a clause in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy deal to take over. DirecTV is already in line to take the new service, and MLBAM is negotiating with local operators to include the channel into their guides; however, DirecTV is looking to stop paying the Bally Sports Arizona channel's carriage fees by negotiating with the bankruptcy court handling the Diamond Sports case. Bally had already announced they would end early the Diamondbacks contract as it lost money constantly.

www.nexttv.com 

MLB and DirecTV Prepare for Bankrupt Diamond To Cut the Diamondbacks Loose From …
Should the league set up a new channel for the team, DirecTV wants the bankruptc…
  Source: www.nexttv.com

www.nexttv.com 

Bankrupt Diamond Moves to Cut the MLB's Diamondbacks Loose From Bally Sports Ari…
Like the San Diego Padres, the club will soon be working with Major League Baseb…
  Source: www.nexttv.com

---

More on the RSN crisis... the Utah Jazz has announced the launch of its own OTT platform, and has announced... Sinclair-owned KJZZ 14 will air the games on FTA television. The Jazz has announced the deal is a "partnership".

www.nexttv.com 

NBA's Utah Jazz Return to Local Broadcast TV Via Deal With — Get This &mda…
The Jazz will also market their own DTC streaming service
  Source: www.nexttv.com

---

NBC Sports Washington (now owned by Ted Leonsis' Monumental Sports & Entertainment) has placed the name of its corporate sake in the network's new naming, being adopted in September, and a big get... former ESPN broadcaster Rachel Nichols.

monumentalsports.com 

Monumental Sports & Entertainment Rebrands its Media Platform as Monumental …
Monumental acquired former NBC Sports Washington from Comcast/NBC Universal in 2…
  Source: monumentalsports.com