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Bally RSN owner Sinclair looking at bankruptcy

Based on what I saw with previous radio Chap 11s, all of the sports contracts will be voided and renegotiated, usually at the same rate, unless it's deemed by the court to be a bad deal that wouldn't be wise to continue. I imagine if that happens, the team is free to negotiate with another similar company, such as NBC Sports or Root. Or perhaps Comcast will get into that business.
No article I've read addresses what I think is the most pressing question: Do Bally's NBA and NHL telecasts continue through the end of the current season, or do the leagues have to scramble to get the games televised somehow on less than 24 hours' notice? A week's notice? A month's?
 
No article I've read addresses what I think is the most pressing question: Do Bally's NBA and NHL telecasts continue through the end of the current season, or do the leagues have to scramble to get the games televised somehow on less than 24 hours' notice? A week's notice? A month's?

They haven't actually filed yet, so a lot of that will be answered when they file.
 
What I meant by that is that some teams that were on Bally might instead form their own RSN the way th Red Sox did with NESN.
That's what the now-Cleveland Guardians did when they started up SportsTime Ohio in 2007. It didn't work out and they sold it to Fox Sports five years later.
 
What I meant by that is that some teams that were on Bally might instead form their own RSN the way th Red Sox did with NESN.
No team would be able to put that sort of thing together in a matter of weeks, though. The leagues would be footing the bill for a whole lot of televised games between now and then, including, I'd imagine, paying the ex-Bally announcers or putting out an emergency casting call for replacements. This has the potential to be a real circus!
 
Based on what I saw with previous radio Chap 11s, all of the sports contracts will be voided and renegotiated, usually at the same rate, unless it's deemed by the court to be a bad deal that wouldn't be wise to continue. I imagine if that happens, the team is free to negotiate with another similar company, such as NBC Sports or Root. Or perhaps Comcast will get into that business.
I read in another, unrelated article that the NBA is due to renegotiate it's broadcast rights contracts next season. That particular article reminded us that when the NFL recently renegotiated theirs, the media rights fees doubled..They mentioned that the NBA's may also double. Here's an article specifically about the NFL fees from about 2 years ago. If the RSNs that carry NBA teams are struggling financially now, it'll only get much, much worse for them.
 
No team would be able to put that sort of thing together in a matter of weeks, though. The leagues would be footing the bill for a whole lot of televised games between now and then, including, I'd imagine, paying the ex-Bally announcers or putting out an emergency casting call for replacements. This has the potential to be a real circus!
Am I not wrong in saying the teams usually hire and employ the play by play staff, commentators and at least some of the other "talent" that appear on Bally Sports telecasts? I thought that's at least the way it worked here, and how/why the guys who call all the games on Bally were nearly embedded with the team, traveled with them to away games, etc. Our Bally team has also at times moved from TV into front office positions within the organization.
 
AT&T has some RSNs.
And like the NBC Sports RSNs, there has been plenty of chatter about AT&T also wanting to get out of the regional sports business. Here in Houston the Astros and Rockets are on AT&T Sportsnet. Guess they won’t wind up on Bally Sports.😣

Houston has sort of a weird situation: Comcast carries AT&T Sportsnet with the Astros and Rockets, but due to overlapping MLB territories they also carry Bally Sports Southwest, which allows viewers in Houston to see Texas Ranger games as well as the Dallas Stars (no Mavericks, Rockets have exclusivity.) Comcast has the alternate channels for both RSNs in the event of game conflicts other regional sports programming. The Stars are blacked out here on the NHL ESPN+ streaming package.

Interesting situation with the impending bankruptcy.
 
Am I not wrong in saying the teams usually hire and employ the play by play staff, commentators and at least some of the other "talent" that appear on Bally Sports telecasts? I thought that's at least the way it worked here, and how/why the guys who call all the games on Bally were nearly embedded with the team, traveled with them to away games, etc. Our Bally team has also at times moved from TV into front office positions within the organization.
Some are employed by the team, but many are hired by the broadcaster "with the approval of" the team.
 
The sports rights bubble is on the verge of busting. There are some sports contracts even Apple and Amazon have laughed at and moved on. When our economy goes down so will sports rights fees. Theres zero guarantee that WBD will have NBA rights after this season
 
How would that work. Just take over the networks. Or rebuild in house.

Would carriage agreements reset or remain the status quo.

They can't just "take over the networks." Once Chap 11 is filed, the judge voids all contracts. That also means Bally contracts with cable companies. At that point, we will see what happens, and then the teams will respond accordingly.
 
They can't just "take over the networks." Once Chap 11 is filed, the judge voids all contracts. That also means Bally contracts with cable companies. At that point, we will see what happens, and then the teams will respond accordingly.
Baseball season starts in 6 weeks. Not much time.
 
That brings up another issue. If baseball takes over their broadcasts. What happens to NBA and NHL games on these networks.
 
They can't just "take over the networks." Once Chap 11 is filed, the judge voids all contracts. That also means Bally contracts with cable companies. At that point, we will see what happens, and then the teams will respond accordingly.
Which makes Manfred’s statement feel more like Frank Drebin casually stating “nothing to see here, please disperse” behind an exploding fireworks factory. He can’t tell the general public that they’re completely in a horrible position both financially and logistically, but he’s making promises the teams and MLB simply won’t be able to keep.
 
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