• Loading stock data...
Sunday, July 6, 2025

MLB Weighs Media Overhaul As Manfred Deals With DSG Turmoil

  • MLB commissioner Rob Manfred criticizes all the key facets of DSG’s bankruptcy reorganization.
  • Nike takes responsibility at a league owners meeting for its much-maligned MLB uniforms.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (above) is certainly no fan of Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt parent of Bally Sports. But Manfred and the league are still keeping their powder dry on taking formal action against the regional sports network operator.

Speaking Thursday at the conclusion of owners meetings held this week in New York, Manfred said there has been no decision made yet about whether there will be a formal objection from MLB to DSG’s already-troubled reorganization plan. But to the commissioner, that indecision stems from an uncertainty about what the league would actually be objecting to, particularly in light of DSG’s current carriage standoff with Comcast, the country’s second-largest cable distributor. 

“It’s hard to comment on whether we’re going to object or not, because there is no [reorganization] plan at this point, if you think about it,” Manfred said. “Their whole plan is ‘we’re going to get deals with distributors.’ We know they don’t have one [major provider]. And it’s ‘we’re going to continue with the leagues.’ They don’t have a deal with the NBA. They don’t have a deal with the NHL. And they don’t have a deal with us.”

Manfred said he still anticipates DSG will pay out the rest of its outstanding rights payment obligations to MLB clubs this year. Still, he added, “There’s not much good about Diamond, actually, right now. They remain bankrupt, in case any of you have missed that.”

While DSG is still bankrupt, a new set of crucial dates in the case hit the court docket on Thursday. A prior June 5 deadline to object to the organization plan is now set for July 18. And a confirmation hearing on the plan previously set for June 18 has been shifted to a start of July 29.

“We have determined to move the hearing a few extra weeks to focus on reaching rights agreements on mutually beneficial terms with our league and team partners and to finalize an updated business plan well in advance of the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons,” DSG said.

As that situation continues to unfold, MLB is also actively considering a dramatic, long-term reorganization of its media rights to a nationally focused structure, similar to what the NFL has used for decades. Such a move would avoid thorny entanglements like the one with DSG, but it’s also fraught with complications, both internally and externally from a labor perspective with the MLB Players Association.

“There is a continuing conversation about a national media strategy, a national control of rights,” Manfred said. “That’s obviously a complicated topic,” citing separate but interrelated issues surrounding the assembling of rights and how revenue flows among the teams.

“Right now, we’re really focused on the strategic part, how we respond to the changes in the local media environment in a way that increases our reach and fan access to games. We’d like to get into a model … where there is a frictionless opportunity to watch the game you want to watch,” he said. 

The Swoosh Falls on Its Sword

Representatives from Nike, meanwhile, briefed the assembled MLB team owners about their remediation plans for the much-maligned uniforms from the sports apparel and footwear giant. Those previously announced repairs, many of which are set to take effect next season, include better color matching of road gray uniforms, improved sweat wicking, larger letters on the backs of jerseys, and more customization of players’ uniform pants.

“Let me say it this way: I think they appropriately took responsibility for the issues with respect to the new uniforms and the rollout of those uniforms,” Manfred said.

More Happenings

In other news from the owners meetings:

  • MLB’s initiative to implement an automatic ball-strike system in the major leagues is “unlikely” for next year, due largely to a lack of hoped-for progress with the technology during testing in the minor leagues. 
  • The league continues to be enthused about its growth in attendance, which is tracking at more than 2% so far this season, building off last year’s gain of nearly 10%.
  • Houston, Miami, San Juan, and Tokyo have been officially confirmed as competition sites for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. 
  • Efforts are underway to upgrade Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, which will be the temporary home of the A’s during the 2025–27 seasons. Work includes construction of a new home clubhouse, renovation of the visitor’s clubhouse, setup of additional camera positions for TV broadcast, and installation of a new field surface and club seats.

“There’s a lot going on there,” Manfred said of the Sacramento situation.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jul 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) heads to the dugout prior to the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Changes Are ‘Showing Great Results’: Former CFO

Big stars playing in major markets “make a real difference.”
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

PGA Tour Slashes FedEx Cup Winner Pay From $25M to $10M

The FedExCup is reworking how it distributes its bonus money.

Featured Today

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.

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.