Bally Sports Ohio will continue to carry Cincinnati Reds games after parent Diamond Sports Group paid the club its overdue rights fee.
"We’re pleased Diamond is complying with our contractual agreement," said Karen Forgus, Reds senior vice president of business operations, late Tuesday morning. She did not provide any additional details.
Spectrum and Altafiber cable systems were preparing to move the Reds to another channel on Saturday, if the TV rights reverted back to the team due to Diamond's failure to pay the team during a 15-day grace period ending this week.
Major League Baseball was prepared to produce the Reds telecast with the team's regular announcers and most of the freelance production team used by Bally starting Saturday, May 6, as I reported Monday in my story,Cincinnati Reds TV changes could come by end of this week.
Diamond Sports Group, which filed for bankruptcy protection March 14,holds the exclusive local rights to 42 professional teams: 14 Major League Baseball teams including the Reds; 16 National Basketball Association teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers; and 12 National Hockey League teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets. It pays about $1.8 billion in annual rights fees, according to Forbes.
However, the Cincinnati contract is not part of the bankruptcy filing because the Reds have an equity stake in the regional sports network, according to John Ourand's April 17 Sports Business Journal story headlined, "Cincy—Ground Zero for MLB's RSN fight." (RSN stands for regional sports networks, like Bally Sports Ohio.)
Ourand also reported that Diamond Sports Group missed an April 17 payment to the Reds. If Diamond did not pay the team during a 15-day grace period, the TV rights would revert to the club, he said.
