Diamond Sports Group will not carry 11 MLB teams in 2025

Diamond Sports Group has unveiled a restructuring plan that includes giving up broadcast rights to all but one Major League Baseball team, putting 11 clubs at risk of losing their regional sports network contracts.

Diamond said in court that it would keep its contract with the Atlanta Braves and forgo the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers. Diamond is poised to move forward as a company without the other teams in its portfolio: the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.

The Rangers, Guardians Twins and Brewers contracts expired after the 2024 season. Five other teams — the Angels, Reds, Cardinals, Royals and Marlins — have joint venture agreements that would result in legal action if Diamond terminates his agreements.

A source at Diamond, the bankrupt operator of the Bally Sports channels, said the company still hoped to agree new terms with the 11 other teams and had previously made proposals to each of them.

However, MLB has consistently questioned Diamond's viability and has shown no willingness to negotiate new rights deals since the company's Chapter 11 restructuring nearly 19 months ago. The confirmation date has been set for November 14th and 15th in bankruptcy court in Houston. The deadline for objections is November 5th. MLB attorney James Bromley said in court that the league was “blindsided” by the development, a point Diamond's attorney refuted.

“We have no information about what is being done,” Bromley was quoted as saying by The Athletic. “We have not had the opportunity to review and now we are in court being asked to give our comments.”

Diamond secured new contracts with lower rights fees with the NBA and NHL on August 23, shortly after agreeing to a new broadcast agreement with Comcast that brought Diamond channels to the most expensive tier. Diamond currently owns the rights to 13 NBA teams and eight NHL teams, having recently dropped the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans from the NBA.

In a statement, a Diamond spokesperson wrote: “Today marks an important step forward for Diamond with the filing of a baseline plan designed to enable us to emerge from bankruptcy as a viable, sustainable company before the end of the year. We have submitted proposals.” We firmly believe that through our linear and digital offerings we have created the best economic and fan-friendly engine for all of our team partners.”

MLB has long-term plans to consolidate line and direct-to-consumer rights under a national umbrella, viewing it as a long-term pivot to an increasingly volatile cable model. Assuming none of the 11 teams at risk of being barred by Diamond agree to new contracts, MLB – which handled the transfers for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks after they were barred last year – could – technically the league retains the rights to almost half.

With local media collectively accounting for about 20% of team revenue, Diamond's plans will create ever-increasing financial uncertainty for teams – the kind that could once again impact offseason spending.