The Minnesota Twins are set to continue their partnership with Bally Sports North as their broadcaster for the 2024 MLB season. This decision comes amid Diamond Sports Group’s filing for approval in bankruptcy court, aiming to persist as the broadcast partner for the Twins, Cleveland Guardians, and Texas Rangers. The Diamond Sports Group, facing financial challenges, is in the process of emerging from bankruptcy with a significant investment from Amazon, subject to regulatory approval. This investment could potentially lead to the development of a new streaming service for NBA, NHL, and MLB games.
For Twins fans in 2024, Bally Sports North will broadcast the team’s games, available to cable and streaming TV subscribers with BSN included in their packages. However, there won’t be a “direct-to-consumer” option for Twins games in 2024, meaning they won’t be featured on Bally Sports Plus, and a separate streaming option exclusively for Twins games won’t be available. Out-of-market fans outside blackout areas can still stream Twins games via MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings.
While some fans had hoped that the financial troubles of Diamond Sports Group would prompt the Twins to launch their own streaming service, it appears that such plans have been delayed for at least one more year. Despite the pending deal, the Twins anticipate a reduction in broadcast income from Diamond Sports Group, with reports suggesting a 15% decrease in TV revenue for the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians compared to the previous year.
A spokesperson for Diamond Sports Group expressed satisfaction with the agreements reached with the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers, emphasizing the goal to continue delivering high-quality, live game broadcasts on Bally Sports through the 2024 season.
In addition to the Twins, Bally Sports North currently holds broadcasting rights for Minnesota Wild, Timberwolves, and Lynx games until the end of the 2023–24 seasons. These games are also available on Bally Sports Plus, a standalone $20-a-month subscription streaming service. However, these existing deals are set to expire at the end of the season, and the future remains uncertain. If Diamond continues to operate in any market beyond the current season, teams, including those in the NBA, may have the option to extend their agreements for an additional year.
The potential game-changer in this scenario is Amazon’s involvement in saving Diamond Sports Group. The investment is expected to lead to the creation of a new direct-to-consumer service, similar to Bally Sports Plus, potentially through Amazon Prime. However, the specifics and timeline of this development are contingent on regulatory approval. It’s anticipated that the introduction of a replacement for Bally Sports Plus could lead to an increase in the current $20-a-month subscription fee. Until these details are finalized, the landscape for broadcasting and streaming Minnesota sports remains in flux.
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