Twins go dark on Comcast in dispute between company and Bally Sports

Twins games will not be available on Comcast after negotiations broke down between the company and Bally Sports’ owner, Diamond Sports, which is in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings.

A message displayed on the Bally Sports channel for Comcast Xfinity customers explained the situation.

“The owner of Bally Sports is in bankruptcy proceedings, and we have offered them multiple options to continue carrying their networks. They have declined each one, and we no longer have the rights to continue carrying their content,” the message read.

The Twins expressed disappointment over the dispute that led to the channel being dropped and fans losing an option to watch games. The team said in a statement that its hands are tied.

“The Twins are disappointed by this massive disruption for our fans who simply want to watch our games. This situation is a business negotiation between Comcast and Bally’s. The Twins have no role or voice in this matter. We are hopeful the two parties are able to come to an agreement as soon as possible.”

Talks between Diamond and Comcast broke down over a disagreement over pricing tiers, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Comcast has moved several independent regional sports networks to its digital premier tier — a subscription package roughly $20 more than its basic tier, where those networks previously resided — and wants to move all the Bally channels to that tier.

Diamond wants to keep the Bally channels on the basic tier of Comcast’s package. The sides have been negotiating for months after Comcast gave Diamond a six-month extension last fall. The extension expired Tuesday.

In February, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Houston approved a one-year contract between the Twins and Bally Sports North for the 2024 season. Their previous broadcasting contract expired last October.

At the time, the Twins and Major League Baseball had been looking for alternative broadcast and streaming options for fans due to the uncertainty around the future of Diamond Sports, but ultimately kept their contract with Bally for one more season.

Major League Baseball has said it hopes to offer a direct-to-consumer app for fans to buy individual games, entire seasons or any portion in between for streaming on TVs or other devices in 2025.

After approving the one-year contract in February, Judge Christopher Lopez said the agreement “provides some comfort to the fans who want to know how to see their team.”

Now, less than three months later, a crucial partnership with Bally Sports has fallen into disarray.

Diamond Sports said fans can still watch Bally Sports via Fubo, DirecTV or directly through the network’s streaming service. Twins games, however, cannot be streamed there.

A free trial for Fubo is available here.

“It’s disappointing that Comcast rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air and that Comcast indicated that it intends to pull the signals, preventing fans from watching their favorite local teams,” Diamond Sports said.

A Comcast spokesperson said the company has been “very flexible with Diamond Sports Group for months as they work through their bankruptcy proceedings.”

“We’d like to continue carrying their networks, but they have declined multiple offers and now we no longer have the rights to this programming,” the spokesperson said.

The other live sporting event affected was Wednesday’s PWHL game between Minnesota and Toronto. That game can be seen on the league’s YouTube channel.

Timberwolves playoff games were not scheduled to be shown on BSN after the first round. They will be shown on the NBA’s national broadcast outlets, starting with Saturday’s Game 1 at Denver.

Comcast will issue credits of $8 to $10 to customers who had Bally Sports as part of their cable subscription.

Star Tribune staff writer Michael Rand contributed to this story.