For sports fans across the country, it hasn’t been easy for fans to access their favorite hometown teams for years due to Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports. But fortunately, it may have just gotten a lot easier.
In a recent announcement, Amazon has agreed to invest in Diamond Sports Group, saving them from bankruptcy, and hopefully, providing an avenue where sports fans of every team can easily catch games on a nightly basis through Amazon Prime’s streaming services.
From Front Office Sports, “Confirming prior reports, Amazon has agreed to invest in the Bally Sports parent and the deal will establish Prime Video as DSG’s “primary partner” for fans to access the regional sports networks on a direct-to-consumer basis. Amazon’s investment runs parallel to a $450 million restructuring agreement for DSG with its debt holders. The deal also significantly expands Amazon’s presence in live sports in the U.S. beyond its existing relationships with the NFL, New York Yankees, NASCAR, and fighting promotion Premier Boxing Champions.
DSG said it will announce at a later date details such as pricing and availability of live games through Prime Video. Prior to these deals, DSG’s long-term survival had been in serious question.”
It is great news for a lot of franchises, like the Hawks, but it will not affect the Braves. Bally Sports does not have the streaming rights to most MLB teams, including the Braves. Next year, it’s assumed the Braves will be available via the usual cable network providers. No change from previous years.
This is a start for Diamond Sports Group, but they still have a ton of questions to answer in the future. They are far from out of the clear when it comes to their long-term outlook. On the flip side, Amazon becoming even more involved in the sports world is intriguing. Change continues to come when it comes to streaming, and it may not be long before fans are watching most of their sports via streaming services like Amazon Prime.
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Photo: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
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