MLB Fans Have to Pay Up to Watch Bally Sports on Comcast Again

Tom Dierberger | Jul 30, 2024

Bally Sports Midwest announcer Chip Caray and Brad Thompson wave to the fans during the second inning of an opening day game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks, reached a deal with Comcast on Monday that will allow Xfinity subscribers to watch their local MLB, NBA and NHL teams again—but with a twist.

The 15 Bally Sports networks will be back on Xfinity beginning Aug. 1—but only on the Ultimate TV package, which is $20 more per month than the cable company's basic package. A Comcast spokesperson told The Athletic it will offer a free three-month trial for the Ultimate TV package that will last through the rest of the MLB regular season.

“Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity," Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack said in a statement. "With certainty on our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA."

The regional networks went dark on Comcast in late April, leaving Xfinity subscribers scrambling for options to stream their local baseball teams. Bally Sports currently broadcasts games for 12 MLB teams—the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers.

Diamond Sports Group continues to trek through its long bankruptcy process that began in March 2023. They broadcast games for 38 teams across MLB, the NBA and NHL.