Bally Sports announces new DirecTV deal, to Comcast customers' irritation

Tone deaf? Maybe just a bit?

Apr 8, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Griffin Jax (22) in action / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Comcast/Xfinity customers who tried to watch Wednesday's Twins game were greeted by a purple screen and a message that said "Bally Sports is no longer available," the result of the latest contract rupture between Diamond Sports Group (DSG) and television providers.

The stalemate leaves Twins fans in the dark while their hometown nine are in the midst of a 10-game win streak, and customers now have to decide if they want to switch to one of the two providers that offer Bally Sports in Minnesota – Fubo or DirecTV – or to be relegated to sitting by the radio to find out if Carlos Correa will drive in the winning run.

It's an unfortunate situation that the Twins say is out of their control. But this response has been criticized by fans and commentators who pointed out the Twins made the decision to re-up with Bally Sports owner DSG – in spite of its well publicized bankruptcy struggle – when they had to have been aware that its deal with Comcast expired at the end of April.

Twins fans who subscribe to Comcast found their irritation growing even more Wednesday afternoon when Bally Sports excitedly announced a contract extension ... with DirecTV.

"We are pleased to announce that we have just reached a multi-year distribution agreement with DirecTV to continue carriage of Bally Sports," the Bally Sports customer support account announced on social media.

The announcement was made at 1:17 p.m. CT, just seven minutes after the first pitch between the Twins and White Sox and 13 hours, 17 minutes after Bally Sports went dark with almost no notice on Comcast/Xfinity.

We are pleased to announce that we have just reached a multi-year distribution agreement with DirecTV to continue the carriage of Bally Sports. Combined with the recently announced multi-year renewals with Charter and Cox Communications, customers will have continued access to…

— BallySportsHelp (@ballysportshelp) May 1, 2024

“The Twins are disappointed by this massive disruption for our fans who simply want to watch our games,” the Twins announced in a statement late Tuesday night. “This situation is a business negotiation between Comcast and [Bally]. The Twins have no role or voice in this matter. We are hopeful the two parties are able to come to an agreement as soon as possible.”

For now, Twins fans (and Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild fans) under the Bally Sports North coverage map, can only watch their favorite teams if they're featured on national TV or via Fubo or DirecTV. That's it. There are no other options.

DirecTV STREAM with Bally Sports North costs $123.98 per month. Fubo with Bally Sports North costs $74.99 per month.