All you need to know about what happened between Bally Sports and Major League Baseball ahead of the new season.
Roger Manfred, the commissioner of baseball, sees an opportunity in the sport’s preparations for a potential crisis in local television. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred stated on Thursday that the league is able to create games digitally in partnership with MLB.TV in the event that Bally Sports regional networks cease carrying the games. In point of fact, he stated that this is an opportunity to deal with the game blackouts that cause so much ire among fans.
SBGI, the stock of Sinclair Broadcast Group, was down 7.04 percent. The Diamond Sports Group, which is the parent company of 19 Bally Sports networks, did not make interest payments totaling around $140 million that was due on Wednesday. As a result, the firm entered a 30-day grace period, which may be the preamble to a bankruptcy case.
Manfred admitted that certain teams might be in danger of losing income, depending on the health of their regional sports networks and that Major League Baseball is willing to assist those teams. Commissioner Rob Manfred said, “I don’t relish any of this,” Manfred said at a spring training media day. “I think it’s necessary to have a centrally based solution to what’s a really serious problem and move us forward to our next stage of delivering games to fans, delivering them where they want to watch them, and without the kind of blackouts that we’ve had in the old model.”
According to Manfred, Major League Baseball’s (MLB) willingness to step in aggressively if the Baseball networks can no longer broadcast is driven in part by the fact that it would give baseball a chance to fix blackout issues. In other words, if the Baseball networks can no longer broadcast, the MLB will step in. If an RSN has exclusive rights in a certain territory, then it’s possible that a game won’t be available digitally in the market for the opposing teams right now.
Commissioner Manfred is ready to help teams if the deal with Bally Sports gets irreparable
Manfred admitted that certain teams might be in danger of losing income, depending on the health of their regional sports networks and that Major League Baseball is willing to assist those teams.
According to Manfred, Major League Baseball’s (MLB) willingness to step in aggressively if the Baseball networks can no longer broadcast is driven in part by the fact that it would give baseball a chance to fix blackout issues. In other words, if the Baseball networks can no longer broadcast, the MLB will step in. If an RSN has exclusive rights in a certain territory, then it’s possible that a game won’t be available digitally in the market for the opposing teams right now.
Manfred stated that the games may be made available digitally or perhaps as part of a cable package in the event that a regional network such as Bally ceased airing. Manfred also addressed the alterations to the regulations that will take effect this season, including the implementation of a pitch clock and new limitations on defensive shifts. He noted that there is always some danger associated with change, but that the long-term rewards make this period of adjustment worthwhile.
Manfred’s response to a question concerning the variations in money generated by the various clubs’ payrolls was that a more national product may generate more centrally shared revenue and lessen revenue inequality.
He said that he is still open to potential alternatives, such as a payroll floor, but the existing labor contract will stay in place through the 2026 season. According to him, Major League Baseball will try a completely automated balls and strikes system at Triple-A this year, as well as a challenge system. It is possible to appeal a decision made by an umpire to the decision made by the computer if the game uses the challenge system. Each will be utilized for three days each week, and there are no games scheduled on Mondays at the Triple-A level.
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