06182023

MLB Takes Over Padres Broadcasts After Bally Sports Misses Payment

In a move that could signify the beginning of a new era in how Major League Baseball games are distributed, the league is taking over production and distribution of all San Diego Padres games starting with the team’s game against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

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.

Garden said M.L.B. would remove blackouts of local games and expand the reach of Padres games by more than two million homes. The games will be available free through MLB.com, Padres.com and M.L.B.’s streaming app through Sunday and then will be available to in-market fans for $19.99 a month, a discount from the full price of M.L.B.’s streaming services. The games will also be distributed on television through cable services like Spectrum, Cox and DirecTV.

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