On Tuesday, Nashville Predators fans were left disappointed when their Bally Sports South feed of Game 5 of the NHL playoffs series against the Vancouver Canucks was abruptly cut off at 11 p.m. CT. The reason behind this blackout can be traced back to Comcast and Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports South, failing to agree on an extension of their rights deal by the deadline.
Diamond Sports Group expressed disappointment in Comcast’s decision to reject a proposed extension, which would have kept their channels on the air. Despite offering similar terms to those agreed upon with larger distributors, Comcast chose not to engage in meaningful discussions. As a result, fans had no choice but to turn to alternative options such as TBS, Fubo, DirectTV streaming or Bally Sports+ to catch the game.
In response, Comcast defended its position by stating that it provided flexibility in accommodating Diamond Sports Group during its bankruptcy proceedings, including providing an extension on the Bally Sports Regional Networks last fall. However, the failure to come to an agreement led to the blackout on Tuesday night. Amazon’s recent minority stake acquisition in Diamond Sports Group aimed to help the regional sports network emerge from bankruptcy but did not prevent it from happening.
The situation has highlighted the challenges faced by fans and companies in the changing landscape of sports broadcasting. Paul Skrbina, a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators for The Tennessean provided insights into this issue and its broader implications for fans and networks.
