2024 UPDATE:
The Arizona Diamondbacks will again be broadcasted through MLB for the 2024 season. For more details on pricing and options, click here.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks television deal with Bally Sports has officially come to an end after a rocky several months.
The announcement comes after months of legal battles between the team and Bally over payments and contract negotiations.
D-backs fans will have several options to watch games for the remainder of the season, none of which are completely free without cable or another separate paid subscription.
MLB.TV will offer a $19.99 per month option to stream D-backs games in the local market. Anyone who already lives in the D-backs market and has a national MLB.TV subscription will still have to pay for the separate D-backs game package.
Games will also be available on the cable and steaming services below, according to the team.
🚨 Starting today, you can watch your #Dbacks in some new locations! And for the first time, you can stream games in-market via https://t.co/0iFv0TuhNf with a new Single Team D-backs subscription. Learn more at https://t.co/k9Xjx1tKgF. pic.twitter.com/hi49pChOyO
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 18, 2023
These changes go into effect immediately.
D-backs games will also be streamed for free on mlb.com and dbacks.com through July 23 to give fans time to consider their viewing options.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Diamond Sports has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Texas since March. The company said in a financial filing last fall that it had a debt of $8.67 billion.
The Diamondbacks signed a 20-year, $1.5 billion contract with Fox Sports Networks in 2015. Diamond Sports Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group bought the regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Co. for nearly $10 billion in 2019. Disney was required by the Department of Justice to sell the networks for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets to be approved.
Diamond Sports said in a recent filing that it loses significant amounts of money under the agreement with the Diamondbacks and that the deal “no longer fits” within its long-term plans.
The Phoenix Suns also ended their deal with Bally Sports and will play their upcoming season on over-the-air television.
