Comcast Xfinity drops Bally Sports; won't air Detroit Tigers games
Comcast pulls plug on Bally Sports
Watching Detroit sports and a Tigers team that is now on the winning side of baseball just got a little tougher for fans who have Xfinity as a provider after Comcast pulled the plug on Bally Sports coverage of local programming for sports. Viewing the Red Wings and the Pistons could also be affected.
(FOX 2) - At the stroke of midnight, Comcast Xfinity dropped Bally Sports from its list of available channels, meaning those in Michigan wishing to watch the Detroit Tigers and use the service, cannot.
Bally Sports, which is owned by Diamond Sports and owns the rights to local sports broadcasting for the Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons, has been struggling financially for years. It's currently restructuring its company through bankruptcy.
The parent company said it is continuing to seek an agreement to restore broadcasts.
"We hope that Comcast will recognize the important and mutually beneficial role Diamond and RSNs play in the media ecosystem," it said in a statement.
"It’s disappointing that Comcast rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air and that Comcast indicated that it intends to pull the signals, preventing fans from watching their favorite local teams. Comcast has refused to engage in substantive discussions despite Diamond offering terms similar to those reached with much larger distributors of ours."
Bally Sports encouraged viewers to contact Comcast in an effort to restore broadcasting of local sports.
According to a statement on Xfinity's website, the carrier offered "multiple options" to continue showing games, but the provider "declined each one and we no longer have the rights to continue carrying their content."
The company said the loss of the channels would result in a credit being provided to customers.
"We know that unexpected changes to your channel lineup can be frustrating. We worked very hard to get Diamond Sports Group to come to a fair agreement for our customers, but they have refused, and as a result the Bally Sports regional sports networks are no longer available on Xfinity."
The move frustrated many viewers as coverage went dark at midnight.
The games can still be watched by downloading the Bally Sports app, which can be done here. Games are still viewable on Directv as well as the MLB TV for Tigers fans.
In early 2024, it was announced that Bally Sports coverage would shift to Amazon as part of the bankruptcy deal with Diamond Sports.
Diamond owns 18 networks under the Bally Sports banner. Those networks have the rights to 37 professional teams — 11 baseball, 15 NBA and 11 NHL. That includes Detroit's Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers.