No, The Minnesota Twins did not play on Apple TV+ on Friday night because Diamond Sports Group (Bally Sports) has finally filed for bankruptcy. In fact, the exact opposite was announced this afternoon.
Bally Sports North re-acquires Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves television network
Instead of closing up shop, DSG has reportedly signed a new deal with the NBA and NHL. Bally Sports North will reportedly become the television home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild for at least one more season. Technically, the new deal still needs to be approved by a judge.
Diamond Sports has reached agreements with the NBA and NHL, deals it announced some time ago. A hearing is scheduled for September 3, where we will likely get a general update on the bankruptcy process.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) August 23, 2024
Not all of the teams under the Bally Sports umbrella will continue to play. The Wolves and Wild will remain on BSN, but the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans will not. This new deal doesn’t guarantee Diamond Sports Group’s exit from bankruptcy, but it certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.
Under the new agreement, even if DSG were to cease operations in the middle of the winter sports season, the Bally Sports network would be contractually obligated to complete the new contracts signed with the NBA and NHL. The agreement has no impact on MLB or the Minnesota Twins.
In some ways, Diamond’s new deals with hockey and basketball put the spotlight back on MLB, which has no certainty whether Diamond will work for its 2025 season. MLB declined to comment Friday.
What does this mean for Minnesota sports fans?
Many local Minnesota sports fans were hoping that wouldn’t happen, especially after reports surfaced a few weeks ago that local television stations were waiting to bid on broadcast rights, which could have allowed live games to be shown for free to anyone with an antenna.
Related: Minnesota local TV stations in contact with Twins, Wild, Timberwolves
But, at least for now, that won’t happen. The Twins will finish their 2024 regular season on Bally Sports North. Then, in a few months, that’s also where the Wolves and Wild games will be played. Remember, cord-cutters can still subscribe to BSN on Fubo TV (7-day free trial).
Unlike Twins games, fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild will also be able to purchase a streaming package that covers both teams this winter, via the Bally Sports app. No additional cable or streaming packages will be required for either team.
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