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Bad Gopher said:
Where am I going to get my pheasant hunting and poker now!?!?!?!

The Twins really pulled a Twins by re-upping with the bankrupt carrier for more money and then pocketing the money while they cut payroll. This move is so Pohlad, they should teach it in business schools as a Pohlad.

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I get the frustration, but the anger at the Pohlads today specifically is misplaced. There's nothing they can do now. BSN got pulled nationwide by Comcast/Infinity/Midco, not just in MN. I saw someone say that some of the NHL play-off games literally went dark in the middle of the game last night. Other than issuing a meaningless statement they have no role in this now.
 

howeda7 said:
I get the frustration, but the anger at the Pohlads today specifically is misplaced. There's nothing they can do now. BSN got pulled nationwide by Comcast/Infinity/Midco, not just in MN. I saw someone say that some of the NHL play-off games literally went dark in the middle of the game last night. Other than issuing a meaningless statement they have no role in this now.
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They (the Twins, and thus the Pohlads) signed a 1-year contract with Bally's to carry the games in 2024. Bally's is a lame duck situation, and the Twins knew this last year. Instead of taking their lumps last year and spending the year to line something up better in 2024, they sat on their laurels, hoping something would magically happen with Bally's. They knew last year this was an untenable situation. They couldn't do much about it in 2023, but they 100% had time and motivation to so something about it in 2024, and they did nothing. All anger and frustration is totally valid. As the saying goes, "the chickens have come home to roost".
 

forever a gopher said:
They (the Twins, and thus the Pohlads) signed a 1-year contract with Bally's to carry the games in 2024. Bally's is a lame duck situation, and the Twins knew this last year. Instead of taking their lumps last year and spending the year to line something up better in 2024, they sat on their laurels, hoping something would magically happen with Bally's. They knew last year this was an untenable situation. They couldn't do much about it in 2023, but they 100% had time and motivation to so something about it in 2024, and they did nothing. All anger and frustration is totally valid. As the saying goes, "the chickens have come home to roost".
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I'm not defending their decision. It was not the right one, IMO. I do think MLB discouraged them from doing anything long-term because they want all the teams to terminate with BSN together, but it's shared blame with Manfred at best.

I'm only saying that today specifically, folks tweeting at Dave St. Peter etc. to "FIX IT!" aren't being rational. There's nothing they can do really at this point and the Twins don't have any more sway than the Braves/Tigers etc.
 

howeda7 said:
I'm not defending their decision. It was not the right one, IMO. I do think MLB discouraged them from doing anything long-term because they want all the teams to terminate with BSN together, but it's shared blame with Manfred at best.

I'm only saying that today specifically, folks tweeting at Dave St. Peter etc. to "FIX IT!" aren't being rational. There's nothing they can do really at this point and the Twins don't have any more sway than the Braves/Tigers etc.
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You are right in that they can't really "fix it" at this point. So your assertation is correct. So maybe if the tweets were just "F U for taking their money instead of lining up a better situation" that would be better as it's more accurate? The message is essentially the same; the Twins F'd up as apparently the leaders of a multi-billion dollar enterprise can't see past the end of their nose. I don't care a lick as I don't have cable and listen to the games on the radio. But all anger is 100% justified, IMO.
 

forever a gopher said:
You are right in that they can't really "fix it" at this point. So your assertation is correct. So maybe if the tweets were just "F U for taking their money instead of lining up a better situation" that would be better as it's more accurate? The message is essentially the same; the Twins F'd up as apparently the leaders of a multi-billion dollar enterprise can't see past the end of their nose. I don't care a lick as I don't have cable and listen to the games on the radio. But all anger is 100% justified, IMO.
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It's justified, it's just 3 months too late. As I said, they should go to Fubo and make a deal to send everyone a free month of service. It's not much, but it's about all they could do at this point.
 


Again - according to Sportico - (I am not making this up) - Comcast wants to move the Diamond RSN's to a Higher-Priced Digital Sports Tier. Diamond wants the RSN's to stay on a basic tier.
If Comcast gets its way, Comcast subscribers will have to pay more to access Twins games on Diamond/Bally.

This is a power play by Comcast. Either Diamond gives in and allows the RSN's to move to the Sports Tier - a move that typically results in fewer people subscribing - or the RSN's stay dark on Comcast, depriving Diamond of a key source of revenue.

and Diamond still needs the court to sign off on its bankruptcy reorganization plan. without the revenue from Comcast, that plan is a lot more uncertain.

BTW - saw tweet from Sioux Falls. this is also impacting Midco cable in South Dakota.
 

as far as the Twins - yes, they miscalculated. (warning - speculation) I think the Twins felt they could get one more year of fees from Diamond, knowing that next year the Twins would likely be going to a deal through MLB while joining other teams as part of a multi-team MLB streaming package that would be marketed to Amazon, Apple or one of the other digital bigwigs.

BUT - doing the MLB deal - while it would make streaming more available - will likely mean lower TV revenue for the Twins for several years. Repeat - lower TV revenue.

If you're mad at the Twins for cutting payroll this year - what do you think happens when their TV revenue is even lower next year? they sure as heck will not be raising payroll.

and everyone who is complaining now will sign up for the Twins' new streaming package, right? I'm not holding my breath. a lot of the people who are complaining now will NOT sign up for the new streaming package, because they'll say "it's too expensive." and then they will go on complaining.
 

I'm kind of following this. I have Directtv I watch the Twins on BSN.

When is doomsday? Will they make it into 2025?
 
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Bally Sports North is also off Midco cable. I have Midco and can't watch the Twins right now.
 



howeda7 said:
I get the frustration, but the anger at the Pohlads today specifically is misplaced. There's nothing they can do now. BSN got pulled nationwide by Comcast/Infinity/Midco, not just in MN. I saw someone say that some of the NHL play-off games literally went dark in the middle of the game last night. Other than issuing a meaningless statement they have no role in this now.
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If I saw this as a possibility when they announced they were staying with Bally's (I did), they did, too. They took this risk with their eyes wide open, and it's blown up in their face.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
as far as the Twins - yes, they miscalculated. (warning - speculation) I think the Twins felt they could get one more year of fees from Diamond, knowing that next year the Twins would likely be going to a deal through MLB while joining other teams as part of a multi-team MLB streaming package that would be marketed to Amazon, Apple or one of the other digital bigwigs.

BUT - doing the MLB deal - while it would make streaming more available - will likely mean lower TV revenue for the Twins for several years. Repeat - lower TV revenue.

If you're mad at the Twins for cutting payroll this year - what do you think happens when their TV revenue is even lower next year? they sure as heck will not be raising payroll.

and everyone who is complaining now will sign up for the Twins' new streaming package, right? I'm not holding my breath. a lot of the people who are complaining now will NOT sign up for the new streaming package, because they'll say "it's too expensive." and then they will go on complaining.
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Im not complaining
 

short ornery norwegian said:
as far as the Twins - yes, they miscalculated. (warning - speculation) I think the Twins felt they could get one more year of fees from Diamond, knowing that next year the Twins would likely be going to a deal through MLB while joining other teams as part of a multi-team MLB streaming package that would be marketed to Amazon, Apple or one of the other digital bigwigs.

BUT - doing the MLB deal - while it would make streaming more available - will likely mean lower TV revenue for the Twins for several years. Repeat - lower TV revenue.

If you're mad at the Twins for cutting payroll this year - what do you think happens when their TV revenue is even lower next year? they sure as heck will not be raising payroll.

and everyone who is complaining now will sign up for the Twins' new streaming package, right? I'm not holding my breath. a lot of the people who are complaining now will NOT sign up for the new streaming package, because they'll say "it's too expensive." and then they will go on complaining.
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Anybody know what the payment schedule is between BSN and the Twins this year? I'm sure advertisers are demanding money back from BSN (and all of the other RSN's). Diamond is already a mess. What would stop them from discontinuing payments to the Twins mid season and shutting the broadcasts down? Without Comcast/Xfinity, I'm sure it's a money loser for Bally at this point.
 

jamiche said:
Anybody know what the payment schedule is between BSN and the Twins this year? I'm sure advertisers are demanding money back from BSN (and all of the other RSN's). Diamond is already a mess. What would stop them from discontinuing payments to the Twins mid season and shutting the broadcasts down? Without Comcast/Xfinity, I'm sure it's a money loser for Bally at this point.
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as far as I know, the fees being paid to the Twins this year by Diamond/Bally have not been reported publicly.

due to bankruptcy court proceedings, we know that the Twins received $55-million last year. they are receiving less this year - we just don't know how much less. I've seen estimates of $44-million - which would be 80% of last year's fees - or $41-million, which would be 75% of last year's fees.

FWIW - I have gone online and read a lot of the documents in the bankruptcy court proceedings, and according to those documents, Diamond projects that 81% of their revenue will come from three companies - Comcast, Charter and Direct TV. I don't have a breakdown on how much revenue they project from each company.

but - Charter is the largest cable operator in the US with roughly 32 million customers. Comcast is the 2nd-largest cable operator. Direct TV has roughly 15-million customers. so estimating based on proportion, let's say that Comcast represents about 30% of Diamond's projected revenue.

if this becomes a long-term dispute, it's hard to see how Diamond survives if they lose 30% of their projected revenue.
 




Diamond Sports trying a PR offensive. claims Comcast will not agree to a short-term extension to put games back on air while negotiations continue.....

-(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Diamond Sports Group (“Diamond” or the “Company”) today issued an open letter to sports fans and Comcast Xfinity subscribers who lost access Diamond’s Bally Sports regional networks as of May 1, 2024 and are unable to watch their favorite teams.

Comcast Xfinity has refused to engage with Diamond around market-based renewal terms equivalent to what Diamond agreed to with its two largest distribution partners. Comcast Xfinity has even refused to implement a short-term, risk-free extension that would have enabled fans to continue watching their teams on Bally Sports during negotiations.

Diamond believes Comcast Xfinity’s extreme stance is hurting fans, leagues and teams. Diamond is urging Xfinity subscribers to make their voices heard:

Dear Sports Fans,

Comcast Xfinity recently pulled the plug on our networks despite our best efforts to reach a mutually beneficial distribution deal. Their refusal to broadcast games while we continue the conversation is disappointing for many reasons, but above all because it hurts you, the fans, and the sports media industry at large. We appreciate that sports rights are confusing – and the industry is evolving in a way that is not always prioritizing the fans. This letter is an effort for us to be honest and transparent with you.

Bally Sports isn’t just a local sports network; it brings you, the fans, closer to your favorite local teams and talent, delivering shared memories, night after night. And it's not just the fans who are directly impacted – the teams and leagues with whom we have built relationships for decades are hurt by this as well.

Bottom line, Xfinity’s current proposal will immediately put Bally Sports on a tier requiring you to pay more to see your favorite teams. This matter is not an attempt to ask Xfinity for more money. In fact, we are just asking them to accept market terms, similar to what Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM all did just last month.

Our goal? Reach a deal and get your local teams back on air. Sadly, Xfinity hasn’t been willing to engage in meaningful discussions, nor will they put the channels back on while we continue to work through this. We’re not giving up, though. We want to make this work with Xfinity and hope that they recognize the crucial role Bally Sports plays in serving local sports fans. The stakes are high. Millions of our customers who enjoy the games we broadcast are already being left in the dark.

Now we’re turning to you, the fans. Raise your voices, let Xfinity know you want your teams back on the air. Tell them to do right by the fans. After all, you are the ones who pay to make it happen. Your opinion matters.

The letter and more information can be found online at www.SaveOurLocalTeams.com.
 

Squeeze them until they fail. Ruin their bankruptcy plan, and put them out of business for good.
 



Boom - shots fired by MLB. Key hearing taking place as I type. From Awful Announcing:

Major League Baseball warned that Diamond Sports Group’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan, scheduled to go to a vote next month, is unfeasible given the regional sports channel company’s May 1 loss of coverage on Comcast systems.

Diamond owns the Bally Sports Regional Networks, which televises 12 MLB teams’ games.

The federal bankruptcy court is scheduled to host a hearing (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. ET to hear concerns raised in March by the NBA, NHL, and MLB about the soundness of the plan, which has been approved by most of the debt holders. But in a sharply worded motion (Tuesday) afternoon, MLB essentially warned the plan may be built on a house of cards, with everything from Amazon’s investment to a recent loan to Diamond all in peril.

“[T]hese chapter 11 cases now hang by the thinnest of threads,” MLB and the 12 clubs wrote. “Unless Comcast and the Debtors can come to a new agreement, it is highly likely that the loss of carriage of the Debtors’ broadcasts by Comcast, and the resulting loss of licensing fees from Comcast, will render the Plan unconfirmable, thereby wasting time and estate resources to the detriment of MLB, the Signatory Clubs, and other interested parties.”

MLB questions whether the Amazon deal (with Diamond) will ever actually occur.

MLB noted it has served discovery on DSG on issues like the Amazon deal, the economics of the Charter and DirecTV deals, and the Comcast situation.

“Given the need for considerable additional information, including the information sought by the discovery requests which MLB and the Signatory Clubs have already served on the Debtors, and for resolution of these material contingencies, it is difficult to imagine how confirmation can proceed on the current schedule,” MLB and the teams wrote.

MLB also pointed out that now with fears Bally Sports will collapse, it has had to again begin planning for offering alternate telecasts for the affected teams, the way it did last season for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks when DSG dropped coverage.

“The Debtors’ loss of carriage on Comcast just over a month into the 2024 MLB season has required MLB again to exert considerable time, effort, and expense in exploration of all available alternatives to protect its fans from being deprived of Club game broadcasts. The Debtors should not be permitted to stumble through the restructuring process, inflicting substantial injury upon fans who have lost broadcast access without warning while simultaneously subjecting multiple sports leagues and dozens of teams to significant financial risk.”

The motion appears to be laying the groundwork for (Wednesday's) hearing. It asks only that the Comcast situation be discussed, which would seem an inevitability, and for MLB to reserve its right to sue to block confirmation. The point of the motion instead is also to once again signal MLB is ready to war with DSG.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Boom - shots fired by MLB. Key hearing taking place as I type. From Awful Announcing:

Major League Baseball warned that Diamond Sports Group’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan, scheduled to go to a vote next month, is unfeasible given the regional sports channel company’s May 1 loss of coverage on Comcast systems.

Diamond owns the Bally Sports Regional Networks, which televises 12 MLB teams’ games.

The federal bankruptcy court is scheduled to host a hearing (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. ET to hear concerns raised in March by the NBA, NHL, and MLB about the soundness of the plan, which has been approved by most of the debt holders. But in a sharply worded motion (Tuesday) afternoon, MLB essentially warned the plan may be built on a house of cards, with everything from Amazon’s investment to a recent loan to Diamond all in peril.

“[T]hese chapter 11 cases now hang by the thinnest of threads,” MLB and the 12 clubs wrote. “Unless Comcast and the Debtors can come to a new agreement, it is highly likely that the loss of carriage of the Debtors’ broadcasts by Comcast, and the resulting loss of licensing fees from Comcast, will render the Plan unconfirmable, thereby wasting time and estate resources to the detriment of MLB, the Signatory Clubs, and other interested parties.”

MLB questions whether the Amazon deal (with Diamond) will ever actually occur.

MLB noted it has served discovery on DSG on issues like the Amazon deal, the economics of the Charter and DirecTV deals, and the Comcast situation.

“Given the need for considerable additional information, including the information sought by the discovery requests which MLB and the Signatory Clubs have already served on the Debtors, and for resolution of these material contingencies, it is difficult to imagine how confirmation can proceed on the current schedule,” MLB and the teams wrote.

MLB also pointed out that now with fears Bally Sports will collapse, it has had to again begin planning for offering alternate telecasts for the affected teams, the way it did last season for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks when DSG dropped coverage.

“The Debtors’ loss of carriage on Comcast just over a month into the 2024 MLB season has required MLB again to exert considerable time, effort, and expense in exploration of all available alternatives to protect its fans from being deprived of Club game broadcasts. The Debtors should not be permitted to stumble through the restructuring process, inflicting substantial injury upon fans who have lost broadcast access without warning while simultaneously subjecting multiple sports leagues and dozens of teams to significant financial risk.”

The motion appears to be laying the groundwork for (Wednesday's) hearing. It asks only that the Comcast situation be discussed, which would seem an inevitability, and for MLB to reserve its right to sue to block confirmation. The point of the motion instead is also to once again signal MLB is ready to war with DSG.
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I predict Diamond will take whatever Comcast is offering very soon.
 

Sounds like MLB's lawyer led the charge at today's hearing. from Sportico:

Speaking during a Wednesday afternoon status conference in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Major League Baseball counsel James Bromley raised concerns about the Diamond Sports Group’s loss of carriage on Comcast’s cable systems.

Bromley’s address to the court came on the heels of a motion filed by MLB in which the league went the worst-possible-scenario route. “Without incoming revenue from Comcast, the debtors (along with their non-debtor affiliates) face a substantially increased risk of shutting down altogether,” the May 14 motion read. “If this were to happen, MLB and [its] clubs would once again find themselves in the untenable situation of having to address the failures of the debtors, likely with little or no advance notice.”

As was reflected in Bromley’s court appearance, MLB is pressing for details about the duration and fee structures underpinning Diamond’s recent renewals with DirecTV and Charter. “How in the world are we going to be able to have a hearing, which I think is going to be contested, with respect to the viability of a plan of reorganization … when we simply have no information?” Bromley said.

Attorneys for the NHL and NBA expressed similar concerns on Wednesday afternoon. NBA lawyer Vincent Indelicato encouraged the court to maintain the June 18 hearing date, “at which point this matter will finally be resolved, one way or the other, on definitive terms.” The attorney went on to paint the hearing as an ultimatum of sorts, suggesting that a failure to win approval for the proposed re-org would necessarily lead to an “orderly wind-down.”

“It is imperative that we have certainty, one way or the other, by June 18,” Indelicato said.

--in other news, an attorney for Diamond said the company is close to finalizing a new naming-rights agreement to replace the deal with Bally. the Bally deal ends after the current baseball season.
 

and in another "never would have guessed it" move - the hearing to consider approval of Diamond's re-organizational plan has been moved back to a later date.

the hearing was originally supposed to take place on June 18. but now, it will take place on July 29th. objections to the plan must be submitted by July 18.

this makes things a little tighter for NBA and NHL teams that have to make plans for the new seasons beginning in the fall - when they might not know until the end of July or later whether Diamond/Bally will continue to exist as a company.

and of course, the Diamond - Comcast dispute lingers on. Comcast still has no incentive to reach a settlement with Diamond - they can keep Diamond twisting in the wind for another 6 weeks - and potentially keep Twins games off of Comcast past the All-Star break.
 

28 months later and things haven't gotten any better.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Sounds like MLB's lawyer led the charge at today's hearing. from Sportico:

Speaking during a Wednesday afternoon status conference in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Major League Baseball counsel James Bromley raised concerns about the Diamond Sports Group’s loss of carriage on Comcast’s cable systems.

Bromley’s address to the court came on the heels of a motion filed by MLB in which the league went the worst-possible-scenario route. “Without incoming revenue from Comcast, the debtors (along with their non-debtor affiliates) face a substantially increased risk of shutting down altogether,” the May 14 motion read. “If this were to happen, MLB and [its] clubs would once again find themselves in the untenable situation of having to address the failures of the debtors, likely with little or no advance notice.”

As was reflected in Bromley’s court appearance, MLB is pressing for details about the duration and fee structures underpinning Diamond’s recent renewals with DirecTV and Charter. “How in the world are we going to be able to have a hearing, which I think is going to be contested, with respect to the viability of a plan of reorganization … when we simply have no information?” Bromley said.

Attorneys for the NHL and NBA expressed similar concerns on Wednesday afternoon. NBA lawyer Vincent Indelicato encouraged the court to maintain the June 18 hearing date, “at which point this matter will finally be resolved, one way or the other, on definitive terms.” The attorney went on to paint the hearing as an ultimatum of sorts, suggesting that a failure to win approval for the proposed re-org would necessarily lead to an “orderly wind-down.”

“It is imperative that we have certainty, one way or the other, by June 18,” Indelicato said.

--in other news, an attorney for Diamond said the company is close to finalizing a new naming-rights agreement to replace the deal with Bally. the Bally deal ends after the current baseball season.
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With a name like Indelicato, it seems as though if legal means don't work, knee caps will be broken and bodies will end up in the trunks of abandoned cars.
 

Diamond is like a drug resistant bacteria at this point. I recently called and got my DirecTV bill cut down by about $80 so I guess they win for now.
 

RememberMurray said:
Our future: constantly having to switch from one fly-by-night service provider to the next, in order to be able to stream/watch "our" teams.

Between this nonsense and the constant, unending commercials, the major sports industry is risking killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. It's greed run amok.

Signed,
Grumpy Old Fart
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totally agree. You wan to expose your team to more people to get more fans, not less.
 

the whole tele-comm industry is going through a transitional phase. cable TV as we know it is slowly becoming extinct, and streaming is replacing it as the dominant form of content delivery.

in another 20 years, young people will scoff at the notion that people once received TV and movies through a physical copper wire cable that came in through a hole in your floor and hooked up to a little box, which in turn hooked up to your monitor/TV. just like kids today would react to the notion of a land-line phone, or a super Betamax VCR.

but right now, the transition means upheaval and change for the current users. change is often uncomfortable, but you just have to let it take place and wait for the industry to settle into the new normal.

with any luck, next year the Twins will be part of a package with MLB and the games will be available on a streaming option as well as some cable channels or even over-the-air channels.

to quote Tom Petty, "The Waiting is the hardest part."
 

a Diamond Sports update. according to an article posted on awfulannouncing.com - Diamond is still losing money.

In a court filing last night, DSG’s investor-approved budget for between May 18 and August 16th was attached as an exhibit. Over that time period, the budget projects DSG will have net cash flow of negative $46.5 million. In a February filing of what was described as an initial budget, DSG projected negative net cash flow between February 17 and May 31 of $172.1 million. So in that respect, the deficit is slowing but still steep.
In the budget through mid-August, cash flow from operations comes in at just negative $2.8 million. But adding debt and fees, including $27 million for restructuring professionals, leads to the $46.5 million of negative net cash flow.
Meanwhile, DSG’s cash reserves continue to slide. On February 23, according to the earlier filing, cash reserves were $205 million. On August 16 reserves are projected at $132 million.

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Apparently there is a new court hearing scheduled for this coming week. at that hearing, the pro sports leagues, including MLB, NHL and NBA, are scheduled to present their concerns over Diamond's bankruptcy reorganizational plan. the sports leagues have complained that Diamond has not provided the information the leagues need to decide whether to support the plan or not. the hearing might - I say might - include an update on the dispute between Diamond and Comcast.
 



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