New contract for Twins to return to Comcast could be completed soon

The Twins may be back on Twin Cities cable systems soon.

Comcast cable customers have been unable to watch Bally Sports North, which televises most Twins game, since May 1, when Comcast’s contract to carry Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt owner of Bally Sports North and 18 other Bally-branded regional sports networks, expired.

But Diamond’s attorney told a federal bankruptcy judge on Wednesday that a new contract is nearly done.

“We have made substantial progress in resolving our issues with Comcast,” attorney Brian Hermann said during a brief video hearing before federal bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez. “We have every intention of executing the agreement with Comcast in the very near term.”

Finalizing that deal could restore Twins telecasts to Comcast systems within the next week or two.

Negotiations earlier this year broke down over Comcast’s desire to offer the Bally networks on a “tiered” basis, meaning it would not be part of the basic cable package but rather a separate feature that fans could pay an extra fee to watch. Hermann offered no details about how the two sides have worked out that disagreement.

In addition to trying to solve their Comcast problem, Diamond “is in very active dialogue and productive discussions with the NHL and NBA,” Hermann said. “While no agreements have been reached at this time, these discussions are ongoing in real time, and we’ve made significant progress.”

With their seasons just three months away, those leagues are growing impatient, Herman acknowledged.

“We recognize we have to move swiftly, and we are moving swiftly,” he said. “Our goal is to move this company out of bankruptcy well in advance of the start of the NBA and NHL seasons.”

Given that urgency, the Timberwolves and Wild seem likely to remain on Bally Sports North, at least for the upcoming season. The Twins are only under contract with BSN for this season, giving them time to explore other options, and perhaps develop a streaming option, whether independent of or in cooperation with BSN, for next year.

With so many negotiations going on, Diamond also asked to postpone their confirmation hearing, in which Lopez will whether to accept the company’s reorganization plan to remain in business and repay its creditors, which was scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday.