How Houston bankruptcy proceedings could impact the future of live sports broadcasts – Houston Public Media

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For the past 15 months, Judge Chris Lopez has presided over Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy proceedings in federal court in Houston. Diamond manages regional sports networks for 38 MLB, NBA and NHL teams. These networks operate under the name “Bally Sports”.

A hearing scheduled for July 29-30, 2024 could determine whether Diamond Sports Group will emerge from bankruptcy and continue operating or be shut down completely. The move could have a profound impact on how professional sports appears on television.

It could be the first big step toward major professional sports leagues taking over regional broadcast rights that for decades have led to systematic cable or satellite blackouts, a phenomenon that has spread to streaming in recent years.

Could sports fans’ long regional nightmare soon end? In the audio above, Houston Matters producer Laura Walker asked Evan Drellich, editor-in-chief of The Athletic and former Houston Chronicle sports reporter.