MLB Prepares to Take Over Rights to Local TV Broadcasts from Sinclair Broadcast Group

About $1 billion of Major League Baseball’s revenue is at risk if a cable television company fails to make payments for local broadcasting rights to 14 teams, and the sport is preparing to take over telecasts.

“I think you should assume that if Diamond doesn’t broadcast, we’ll be in a position to step in,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday after an owners’ meeting. “Our goal would be to make games available not only within the traditional cable bundle but on the digital side, as well.”

Sinclair acquired 21 regional sports networks in 2019 from The Walt Disney Co., which had taken them over as part of its purchase of 21st Century Fox. Sinclair also holds rights to 16 NBA teams and 12 NHL franchises, and teams fear in an era of cord-cutting they may not get payments from Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary operating the networks under the name Bally Sports.

Read the source article at abcnews.go.com