Bally Sports, Atlanta Braves’ network, to return to Comcast subscribers after deal – WABE

Most Comcast subscribers will once again be able to watch the Atlanta Braves after Comcast reached an agreement with its distributor.

Comcast and Diamond Sports announced Monday that 15 regional sports channels will be available Thursday after being blacked out for three months. The Bally Sports channels had been unavailable to Comcast subscribers since May 1 due to a contract dispute.

Under the agreement, Comcast Xfinity Ultimate TV subscribers will have access to Bally RSNs. Additionally, Xfinity Ultimate TV customers will be able to stream Bally content on the Bally Sports app.

Comcast is Diamond Sports’ third-largest distributor. Diamond Sports has been in bankruptcy proceedings in Texas since filing for protection in March. A reorganization plan has been submitted to the court, but details are still being worked out.

“With the certainty of our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA,” said David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond Sports. “We recognize that time is of the essence as we approach the basketball and hockey seasons.”

Baseball teams affected by the outage were the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels.

“We are pleased that Diamond Sports worked with us to find a solution that brings Bally Sports RSNs back to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the evolving local sports video market,” Greg Rigdon, president of content acquisition for Comcast, said in a statement. “We look forward to making these networks available on August 1, so customers can once again watch their favorite teams.”

Financial terms of the deal with Comcast were not disclosed.