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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Altafiber dropping FanDuel Sports Ohio channel

91.7 WVXU | By John Kiesewetter

Published November 22, 2024 at 5:21 PM EST

Customers will no longer get Cleveland Cavaliers and Columbus Blue Jacket games effective Tuesday, Nov. 26.

A week after the Cincinnati Reds ended their relationship with the FanDuel Sports Network Ohio (formerly Bally Sports Ohio), the Altafiber cable system is dropping the FanDuel channel effective Tuesday, Nov. 26.

“Altafiber will be negotiating a carriage agreement directly with Major League Baseball starting in December to carry a Cincinnati Reds channel. More information will be provided about this at a later date,” the company announced Friday afternoon, Nov. 22.

For nearly 30 years, the Reds have been carried by the regional sports network known as Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Ohio and, since last month, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio.

The regional sports network, acquired from Disney by Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group in 2019, fills the channel in the baseball off-season with games played by the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and NHL Columbus Bluejackets. Subscribers will lose all FanDuel programming on Channels 27, 527 and 232.

Altafiber is pulling the plug as the Cavaliers are off to their best start (16-1), leading the Eastern Conference by three games. The Blue Jackets (8-9) are in 6^th place in the NHL Metropolitan Division.

“We sincerely apologize for any frustration and appreciate your understanding. To learn more about this change, visit our informational page or call 513-565-2210,” said the Altafiber statement.

The company said the move was strictly prompted by the end of the Reds’ broadcast rights deal with Diamond Sports Group, which owns and operates FanDuel. The Reds announced Nov. 14 that they will be the seventh team with games produced and distributed by MLB.

Next season MLB will add four teams (Reds, Guardians, Brewers and Twins) to the three franchises produced and distributed this year (Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies) after Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2023.

The Reds ended their partnership by selling its stake in the FanDuel/Bally Ohio regional sports network for $1. The Reds had a 20% stake in the regional sports network, according to the Sports Business Journal. The club had a 15-year partnership in the regional network running through 2032, according to published reports.