• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 3, 2025

Diamond Sports Hold Three MLB Clubs ‘Captive’

  • Twins, Guardians, and Diamondbacks say in filing they have not been compensated.
  • Diamond is attempting to restructure its $8 billion in debt in bankruptcy.
Bally Sports reporter interviews Detroit Lions player
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nearly two weeks into the MLB season, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Guardians games can still be found on Diamond Sports-owned Bally Sports networks. 

Fans still have to pay through their TV providers or Bally Sports’ streaming service to watch, and the three teams said in court filings that Bally parent Diamond Sports Group “are functionally holding the clubs captive.”

Diamond Sports filed for bankruptcy protection last month, as the Sinclair subsidiary seeks to restructure about $8 billion in debt. 

  • In its emergency filing on Wednesday, attorneys wrote that Diamond Sports continues “to consume the Diamondbacks’ product without paying for it.”
  • Lawyers for the Twins and Guardians wrote in an emergency motion filed Tuesday that Diamond is using the teams’ “unique and exclusive intellectual property without paying a single penny for it.”
  • Diamond Sports has paid “every single other NBA, NHL, and MLB team other than the amounts due” outside the Twins, Guardians, and Diamondbacks, per the same filing.

In a filing on Monday, Diamond Sports wrote that it expects to request approval to pay “only the reasonable value of the rights” to teams as the bankruptcy case moves forward. Lawyers for Diamond Sports requested a May 12 hearing highlighting “expert testimony on the current value of the rights under the contracts.”

“Only after defaulting on their payment obligations do the debtors even raise the fanciful argument that they can choose to not pay the agreed-upon contractual rate,” lawyers for the Twins and Guardians wrote.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field.

Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Put on Paid Leave Amid MLB Probe

Reports say the investigation is tied to gambling.
exclusive

WNBA Players Reject League’s First CBA Offer

Players felt the initial proposal wasn’t “entirely responsive” to their request.

NHL to Rejoin Olympic Ice in Milan—and NBC Set to Cash In

NHL players last competed in the Olympics in 2014.

Commanders’ $3.8B Stadium Deal in Jeopardy? Mayor Sounds the Alarm

Political tensions rise about delays in stadium funding approval.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.