Judge signs off on DSG’s deals with NBA, NHL
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
A federal judge approved Diamond Sports Group’s deals with the NBA and NHL on Tuesday, another step forward in the bankrupt operator’s nearly 18-month quest to emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization.
A representative for Diamond, which runs regional sports networks under the name Bally Sports, said the company hopes to file a reorganization plan that will allow for confirmation hearings at some point within the first half of November.
The judge also approved Diamond’s request to eliminate its contracts with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. Diamond’s revised deals with the NBA and NHL, details of which have not been made public, ensure that the company will air games for the 22 teams still under its portfolio for the entirety of the upcoming 2024-25 seasons, regardless of whether it ultimately emerges from bankruptcy.
That certainty became necessary as Diamond’s confirmation hearings — in which a bankruptcy judge would essentially decide whether Diamond can move forward as a business — were delayed twice in the wake of new developments. An original date of June 18 was moved to the end of July, then pushed back even further to allow Diamond to finalize a new carriage agreement with Comcast, which previously took Bally Sports channels off the air. Diamond attorney Joe Graham said in bankruptcy court that the new deals with the NBA and NHL require the company to emerge from bankruptcy by April 1, 2025.
Tuesday’s development wasn’t without strong pushback from MLB, which on Friday filed a reservation of rights that called Diamond’s new agreements into question. In a 14-minute presentation Tuesday, MLB attorney James Bromley expressed frustration over a lack of transparency on the details of the new NBA and NHL deals and once again called Diamond’s long-term viability into question, pointing to recent reports that Amazon had backed out of a prior agreement to invest $115 million.
MLB’s biggest gripe, however, revolves around an April 1 deadline that would likely trigger yet another offseason of uncertainty regarding the state of major league teams’ regional sports contracts. Said Bromley: “This is now the fourth season in a row that Major League Baseball is heading into the offseason with a complete lack of information and clarity with respect to what’s going to happen with respect to Diamond Sports and its ability or willingness to broadcast Major League Baseball games.”
Bankruptcy judge Chris Lopez called Diamond’s agreements with the NBA and NHL “a step in the right direction” but also said the court took MLB’s concerns “very seriously.” Another status conference is expected during the first week of October, by which point a confirmation date could be solidified.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.
Oh, and another thing: Don’t dance on TikTok.
“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” he said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok, ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”
Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State star Ashton Jeanty and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are among college football players who have posted dance videos.
Rodriguez is beginning his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.
“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”
As for now, he said: “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”
Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will be sidelined for a week with a facial injury but avoided a fracture.
General manager Jim Nill said Tuesday that Hintz has to keep his heart rate down for 5-7 days to avoid pressure or swelling.
Hintz, 28, was struck in the face by a puck midway through the second period in Saturday’s 5-4 loss at Edmonton. He did not return.
Hintz is tied for second on the Stars in goals (25) and is fourth in points (52) through 59 games this season.
He has 362 points (172 goals, 190 assists) in 451 career games in seven NHL seasons. Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2015.
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