Baseball fans and Comcast subscribers in more than a dozen markets are facing a major challenge: they cannot watch their local Major League Baseball teams on TV. This is because the carriage agreement between Comcast and Diamond Sports Group, which owns 18 regional sports networks, has expired. As a result, Comcast customers are left without access to these channels.
The local sports media business model has evolved significantly since the 1980s. In the past, sports teams would sell their rights to regional sports networks, which would then sell carriage rights to cable companies. However, with the rise of streaming services, consumers now have more options. They can choose to buy only what they want instead of the whole bundle. Some are even opting to pirate the games instead of paying for them legally.
In recent years, some sports teams have started selling their rights to local broadcasting affiliates instead of regional sports networks. These can be accessed through cable or even with rabbit ears. This allows for free airing of games, which can broaden the appeal of a sport and make it accessible to people without a subscription. It’s almost like going back in time to how we used to watch sports in the ’70s and ’80s.
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