Another Battle Looming over Atlanta Braves TV Rights

The Atlanta Braves could be staying on their local regional sports network while other MLB teams get the boot

The Atlanta Braves find themselves in a peculiar position during the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy hearings. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have been caught in the middle of a surprise decision involving their television broadcasts. 

According to the Athletic’s Evan Drellich, Diamond Sports Group (DSG), the owners of the Bally Sports regional sports channels, said in bankruptcy court that they intend to retain the Braves' current TV contract.

During the decision to keep the Braves, DSG chose to drop the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays.

No reason was reported for why the Braves were chosen over the Tigers and Rays.

Other teams on Bally Sports - the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals - could not technically be dropped. They are considered "joint-venture teams." There is a different legal standing here.

Drellich added that there is an implication that these TV deals would need to be renegotiated.

DSG has walked away from this type of deal before. They gave back the rights to the San Diego Padres during the 2023 season.

The Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins had their games carried on Bally Sports on a one-year contract for 2024. The Rangers will move on from Bally Sports starting next season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks previously carried games on Bally Sports as well. They have since moved to an MLB-operated broadcast.

This is a continuation of a broadcasting mess that has made it hard for Braves fans to watch the games. Xfinity/Comcast dropped the Bally Sports channels over the summer due to a contract dispute with DSG. The TV provider went without the channels from May 1 to Aug. 1. Bally Sports channels are also not available on YouTube TV or Hulu.

The broadcasting rights on the local RSN are also behind the blackouts for local MLB TV streamers. The Diamondbacks and Padres are the exception having moved to the MLB-operated broadcasts.

For those hoping the Braves would be free of the RSN, it's not looking great. They're staying on Bally Sports for 2025 - at least for now. This is barring any changes in response to this decision.

DSG filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in March 2023 to settle over $8 billion in debt. The debt originates from its owners, Sinclair Broadcast Group, purchasing regional sports networks from Disney following its acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox in 2019. 

Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast previously operated under the Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast named when owned by the Fox Sports Networks (FSN). 

Bally Sports also carries the broadcasts for teams in the NBA, including the Atlanta Hawks, and the NHL.

CORRECTION: It was originally reported that Diamond Sports Group was retaining the Braves are dropping the remaining MLB teams. This has since been corrected by the original source and updated accordingly here.