Bally Sports RSNs go dark on Comcast as Diamond Sports Group fails to reach deal with distributor. Plus: Paramount CEO Bob Bakish is ousted amid talks of a sale; Charles Barkley acknowledges opt-out clause in TNT contract if the network does not retain NBA rights.
Comcast drops Bally Sports after sides fail to reach deal
Bally Sports RSNs went dark for Comcast customers Wednesday morning after Diamond Sports Group failed to reach a carriage agreement with the distributor prior to a Tuesday night deadline. The blackout will impact 11 MLB markets during the heart of the regular season. Talks reportedly broke down on the basis of how the Bally networks would be tiered on Comcasts’ various offerings. The distributor sought flexibility to place Bally’s RSNs into a higher-tier package rather than including the channels in its base tier. Another sticking point was the speed with which Diamond would allow its RSNs to be placed onto a digital tier.
A deal with Comcast is vital for Diamond as the company looks for its reorganization plan to be confirmed in bankruptcy court this June. Two other major distributors, DirecTV and Charter, have already inked multiyear agreements with Diamond, leaving Comcast as the last substantial hurdle. Comcast rejected a temporary extension proposed by Diamond on Tuesday night that would have allowed the channels to stay on the air. No timetable has been reported as to the status of ongoing talks. (CNBC, 5.1)
Bakish out at Paramount, sale talks heat up
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish has been let go, the company announced Monday. Executives George Cheeks, Brian Robbins, and Chris McCarthy will combine to take over for Bakish in the interim. The ouster comes amid reports that Paramount chair Shari Redstone is considering a merger with David Ellison‘s Skydance Media, a deal that Bakish reportedly opposed. Additionally, Paramount is reportedly being courted by private equity firm Apollo Global Management in partnership with Sony for a sale — a deal many common shareholders prefer. However, any deal involving Sony would face significant regulatory scrutiny due to Sony, a Japanese company, holding an ownership stake in an American broadcast network in CBS. (Sportico, 4.29)
Barkley discusses opt-out clause in TNT contract
As NBA rights negotiations heat up and the possibility of TNT losing out on a renewal looks more likely, Inside the NBA‘s Charles Barkley has once again opened up about his future with the network. On ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show Wednesday, Barkley reiterated his previously reported ability to opt-out of his current 10-year deal with TNT should the network fail to retain NBA rights stating, “I wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in 2 years, I could be a free agent.” Last year Barkley went even further, stating that if TNT were to lose NBA rights he would only move to another network if accompanied by his Inside the NBA colleagues. It’s unclear whether Barkley’s colleagues have similar opt-out clauses in their contracts, though each member of the crew re-signed with TNT at the same time in 2022. (ESPN Cleveland, 5.1)
