Diamond Sports Group and DirecTV have reportedly agreed to a framework carriage agreement, though a Comcast deal remains uncertain. Plus: Jason Kelce is reportedly headed to ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown; The United States and Mexico withdraw joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Diamond and DirecTV close in on a deal, look to Comcast next
Diamond Sports Group and DirecTV have reportedly reached a framework agreement that will keep the Bally Sports RSNs on the distributor, per Puck‘s John Ourand on Monday. The deal serves as a major step in securing Diamond’s emergence from bankruptcy, with a Tuesday night deadline with Comcast looming as the last major hurdle. The framework agreement with DirecTV includes a slower transition of Diamond’s RSNs to a digital tier than what Comcast seeks. Comcast wishes to move the Diamond-owned RSNs to a digital tier immediately, an arrangement the distributor has made with smaller RSNs like MASN, ROOT Sports, and SportsNet Pittsburgh. Per the Puck report, should Diamond fail to close a deal with Comcast, it’s unlikely the company will emerge from bankruptcy. (Puck, 4.29)
Jason Kelce chooses ESPN
Highly coveted media free agent and recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce will join ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown this upcoming season, per a report in The Athletic on Monday. Kelce, who also hosts the popular New Heights podcast with his brother Travis, will join Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, and Marcus Spears on the Countdown desk. The older Kelce brother drew interest from several suitors according to the report, with NBC, CBS, and Amazon among the other NFL media partners vying for his talents. ESPN has now plucked two of the most sought after NFL media prospects of the offseason, as Bill Belichick is expected to sign a deal with Peyton Manning‘s Omaha Productions soon. The former Patriots coach will make regular appearances on ESPN airwaves via Omaha’s Manningcast in addition to The Pat McAfee Show this upcoming season. (The Athletic, 4.29)
USA and Mexico withdraw Women’s World Cup bid
U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation announced they will withdraw a joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Instead, the federations will look to submit a joint bid for 2031. FIFA will now choose between Brazil and a combined bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands when they meet in Bangkok this May. The United States is set to host several major soccer tournaments in the next four years including the Copa America this summer, the Men’s World Cup in 2026, and the Summer Olympics in 2028. A Women’s World Cup in 2027 would have created challenging circumstances commercially as several major tournaments would have to compete for the same sponsorship resources. Shifting focus to a 2031 bid also avoids the possibility that the tournament is overshadowed by the Men’s World Cup just a year earlier. (ESPN, 4.29)
