The core of any professional sports team is its local fan base. Unfortunately, there have been ongoing issues with Bally Sport’s streaming app that have prevented many people in the Carolinas from watching Hornets games during the 2023–24 season. However, it seems as though there is hope at the end of the dim, protracted tunnel that resembles Bally Sports.
The NBA and the regional sports channel company came to an agreement yesterday afternoon, marking a significant advancement in the eight-month-long Chapter 11 bankruptcy saga of Diamond Sports Group, the owners of Bally Sports. Through the conclusion of the current season, the agreement would ensure ongoing DSG coverage; after that, the rights would be returned to the league.
This would be music to Charlotte fans ears who have grown frustrated with frequent outages and local blackouts. This news also comes as a mild surprise, as earlier this off-season new Hornets owner Gabe Plotkin stated “We’re obviously under contract through the 2025-26 season with Bally Sports and we expect them to live up to that contract”. The new “Cooperation agreement” between the NBA and DSG still needs to be ratified by the bankruptcy court. This would seem like a formality, with this being the best outcome for all parties. With the TV rights now likely belonging to the NBA for the 2024/25 season and beyond, what can fans expect for TV coverage? Will the NBA manage their own streaming service, or perhaps sell or pass the rights onto the Charlotte Hornets themselves to manage like the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns have recently done. Whatever happens, I’m confident the new rights owner will be keen to retain the services of the much applauded TV crew and the long ongoing issue of “Blackouts” will be resolved as everyone is united in agreeing that is an outdated issue.
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