About a week ago, the Bally Sports channel disappeared from Comcast Xfinity subscribers’ TVs. This decision left many fans dissatisfied, considering that Comcast is the second largest cable subscriber in the United States and a huge provider in Minnesota.
To clarify this topic and provide additional perspective, I spoke with Randy Stevens, general manager of Barrie Sports North.
You can hear the entire conversation on Thursday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Here are five takeaways from our conversation.
The impasse in negotiations is that Comcast wants to put Bally Sports at a higher price point, while Diamond Sports (Bally Networks’ parent company) is reluctant to do so. Whether that makes sense probably depends on which side of the negotiation you’re on, but Comcast’s position is inconsistent with recent deals between Diamond and other cable and satellite carriers, Stevens said. Stated.
“All we’re trying to do here is get them to agree to what we think are commercially reasonable terms that other people in their position have agreed to,” Stevens said. said.
*After much offseason speculation that the Twins would change their television distribution, Bally Sports North and the Twins agreed to a deal for the 2024 season this offseason. I asked Stevens about the relationship between BSN and the Twins at this point.
“We have a deep and very rewarding relationship with the Twins,” said Stevens, who took over as Barrie Sports North GM about a year ago. “One of the things that struck me from the beginning was how strong the relationships are between our network and our team partners. … So we have great relationships. That doesn’t change the fact that you are, I know, but we’re in a frustrating situation and that’s the reality.
*My feeling is that when negotiations and relationships go bad, Diamond and Barry tend to take a lot of the blame, and not so much the airline or the team. When I mentioned this to Stevens, he said he was more interested in fixing the problem than pointing fingers.
But this week there was a clear shift in strategy. Diamond has sent a communication to fans explaining its negotiations with Comcast and urging them to put pressure on Comcast. Making Stevens available for an interview itself represented a change in approach.
*This is not the first time something like this has happened. Other providers have had price disputes in the past and discontinued Bally channels. But for me, he felt that Comcast was different from smaller streaming services like Hulu or YouTube TV, so I asked Stephens for his opinion on that.
“(Comcast) has always recognized the value of local sports and we have always found a way to reach an agreement over the years. We still expect to reach an agreement in this situation. We hope to reach an agreement soon,” Stevens said. . “If that’s surprising, it’s surprising because they’ve been a very good partner in distributing this content to their fans over the years.”
*Readers, listeners and fans share their opinions on TV issues more than anything else. I asked Stevens what he was hearing. He said BSN is currently also available on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo.
“I would encourage fans who are unhappy to watch the game to check out other options because they are there and they are broadcasting the game every night,” he said. Ta. “That’s why the game is available. I don’t want people to lose sight of that.”
That’s true, but it also creates long-term cable subscribers (as several readers have pointed out, this includes Comcast subsidiary Midco, the major carrier in nonmetropolitan Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota). Consider a pivot that may be difficult, disruptive, and/or costly. Some have already made the switch. Some are waiting to see if the two sides can reach an agreement.
While many others have dropped the channel, canceled their subscriptions, or looked elsewhere, this is a blow to the Twins, Bally Sports North, and Comcast.