NHL reaches deal with Diamond Sports Group on local rights through rest of season
A long awaited deal with the NHL has finally come together for Diamond Sports Group.
The bankrupt regional sports network owner reached an agreement with the league to retain local broadcasting rights with nearly a dozen teams through the remainder of the 2023-24 season, according to media reports.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline that the new pact provides clarity for the teams that had contracts with the owner of the Bally Sports channels after much uncertainty over their future since DSG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March:
“It’s a resolution that we are comfortable with in light of the totality of circumstances,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic in an email exchange. “It ensures that all our teams will be able to continue to broadcast their games to local fans throughout the balance of the season. That has always been our top priority.”
DSG reached a similar deal with Major League Baseball on Dec. 15 and its contracted NBA teams before that league's season began in October. As is the case with the NBA, all contracted NHL teams will continue to have their games carried on Bally Sports channels before local rights revert back to their league at season's end.
Eleven NHL teams are signed to this overarching agreement, but for some there are legitimate concerns about where their local rights will go to once the DSG contract ends.
In Southern California where the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks reside, a competing regional channel such as Spectrum SportsNet LA could pick up the rights from Bally Sports West (Kings) and SoCal (Ducks), respectively, though there would need to be some cooperation between their NBA co-habitants in the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers if that came to fruition.
However, the other nine teams — Dallas, Minnesota, Columbus, Detroit, Florida, Carolina, Nashville and Tampa Bay and St. Louis — would be wise to monitor what several peers have done in recent months in returning to broadcast TV.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes moved to free TV before the start of the season, following the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
The SoCal teams may consider the same but for regions where there are fewer pro teams, over-the-air TV (with a streaming component) may be their only choice to get from under the regional sports network chaos.
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