WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot
    Tanner Mordecai

    3 Early Standouts In Wisconsin Spring Practices

    March 30, 2023
    NFL in Europe

    How Big is the NFL in Europe?

    March 30, 2023
    Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes

    Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs: 2023 Opening Day Key Stats

    March 30, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • 3 Early Standouts In Wisconsin Spring Practices
    • How Big is the NFL in Europe?
    • Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs: 2023 Opening Day Key Stats
    • Milwaukee Brewers Starting Lineup For Opening Day
    • Bucks vs Celtics- Time to Clinch the #1 Seed
    • Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Off-Season Preview
    • 3 Milwaukee Brewers Players Address The Media Prior To Opening Day
    • 50 point Game for Jrue Holiday, 6th player to score 50 carries to win!
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Mark Mayfield
    • Our Writers
    • Store
    Facebook Twitter RSS
    WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics
    SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
    • Packers
      • Aaron Rodgers News
      • Packers News
      • Packers Rumors
      • Packers History
    • Bucks
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo News
      • Bucks News
      • Bucks Rumors
    • Brewers
      • Brewers News
      • Brewers Rumors
    • Badgers
      • Wisconsin Badgers Football
      • Wisconsin Badgers Basketball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Basketball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Volleyball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Hockey
      • Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling
    • Marquette
      • Marquette Basketball
    • Draft
      • 2023 NFL Draft Big Board & Scouting Reports
      • 2023 NFL Mock Drafts
    • Milkmen
      • Milwaukee Milkmen News
      • Milwaukee Milkmen Rumors
    • Podcasts
      • CheeseDads Sports
      • Packers Podcast
      • Wickett On Wisconsin
    • Fantasy
    • NFL
    WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics
    Home»Sports»Brewers»Implications of Bally Sports Bankruptcy for Brewers and Fans
    Brewers

    Implications of Bally Sports Bankruptcy for Brewers and Fans

    Aaron AhlesBy Aaron AhlesMarch 14, 2023Updated:March 14, 2023No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    bally sports wisconsin
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    The Rise of Bally Sports

    In March 2019, a deal closed between The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox saw the then Fox Sports Regionals fall under the House of Mouse. However, as a concession in the merger, Disney was forced by regulators to sell the regional sports networks (RSNs) due to concerns of monopolistic behavior.

    In May of the same year, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired the rights to the RSNs and college athletics under the Fox Sports brand. As part of the terms of the deal, Sinclair had to rebrand the RSNs. This change took effect on March 31st, 2021 with the rebrand to Bally Sports.

    Different name, same favorite teams.

    Today is a new beginning.
    Welcome to Bally Sports. #HeartoftheFan pic.twitter.com/aPzqxBtaGK

    — Bally Sports (@BallySports) March 31, 2021

    Bally Sports Collapses into Bankruptcy

    The writing was on the wall immediately following the transition that bankruptcy was inevitable. Bally Sports Wisconsin was only available on a handful of TV services at the start, most notably YoutubeTV and Charter Spectrum. While this scarcity was problematic across the country, it was especially problematic for Wisconsin residents.

    Charter Spectrum is unavailable in many non-metro regions of the state, immediately alienating a significant portion of the population. Similarly, the lack of high-speed broadband internet (and the state legislature’s majority refusing to invest in it) makes streaming a difficult, if not impossible, option for those living in these regions of the state. One way or another, Bally’s lack of accessibility left many with no viable option to watch Brewers baseball every night.

    Many people resorted to radio broadcasts, next-day journalism coverage, or even unauthorized rebroadcasts in order to keep up with the Brewers. Wisconsin residents who subscribed to MLBTV were equally out of luck, as the long-ired blackout restrictions made the service unusable for Brewers games. While this can be circumvented by using a VPN, it would be unfair to expect many to go through all the necessary hoops to do so… let alone be understood by those less technically inclined.

    Bally even attempted to roll out their own streaming platform, which only further stoked discontent between fans and the broadcast rights holder, especially considering the myriad of technical issues of the platform. The net result? Just two full regular seasons with the Bally Sports moniker before the bankruptcy announcement Tuesday evening.

    Diamond Sports Group officially files for bankruptcy pic.twitter.com/pvgWJEumbd

    — Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 15, 2023

    What Comes Next?

    As the announcement indicates, Bally will continue broadcasting games for the immediate future while the business elements of a restructure are sorted out. The most popular rumor is that the MLB, NHL, and NBA would reacquire the media rights to the total 43 teams covered by 19 regional Bally networks, but no plans have been made official. Whatever form the games are broadcast in the future, one can hope that they become more accessible than they are in their present state.

    A combination of more national broadcasts and ending blackout restrictions on MLBTV would be a great step forward to increase viewership, the claimed motivation of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred when discussing recent rule changes effective this year (banning the shift and implementing a pitch clock).

    Furthermore, a consolidation of MLB media rights could open the doorway to implementing revenue sharing. This is the practice where all team revenues are summed and divided equally to all teams, promoting competitive balance and providing equity to smaller markets. The MLB is the only league of the major 4 in the US that has no form of revenue sharing: the NFL and NBA have complete revenue sharing, and the NHL has a modified version of this between the top 10 in revenue and the rest of the league.

    The regionality and dependence on individual TV deals has long skewed the competitive balance towards the massive media markets, allowing the likes of New York and Los Angeles to flaunt their excess money every free agency period that small markets, like Milwaukee, could never realistically offer. With the looming changes to MLB media rights coming, hopefully the result is better for both Wisconsin residents and the Brewers organization as a whole.

    For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content

    Follow me on Twitter at @Im2Fast_4U and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Aaron Ahles

    Aaron is an engineer and human-centered designer with an esteemed passion for sports, especially baseball. Aaron is a Brewers SSH and umpires for K-12 baseball and softball. Outside of sports, Aaron enjoys Star Wars, gaming, nature photography, and cooking.

    Related Posts

    Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes

    Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs: 2023 Opening Day Key Stats

    March 30, 2023
    Milwaukee Brewers, Craig Counsell

    Milwaukee Brewers Starting Lineup For Opening Day

    March 30, 2023
    Milwaukee Brewers, opening day, Willy Adames

    3 Milwaukee Brewers Players Address The Media Prior To Opening Day

    March 30, 2023
    Craig Counsell, Brewers

    Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Bold Predictions For 2023

    March 30, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    TRENDING
    Tanner Mordecai

    3 Early Standouts In Wisconsin Spring Practices

    March 30, 2023
    NFL in Europe

    How Big is the NFL in Europe?

    March 30, 2023
    Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes

    Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs: 2023 Opening Day Key Stats

    March 30, 2023
    Milwaukee Brewers, Craig Counsell

    Milwaukee Brewers Starting Lineup For Opening Day

    March 30, 2023
    Three X-Factors for the Bucks and Celtics

    Bucks vs Celtics- Time to Clinch the #1 Seed

    March 30, 2023
    NIT Semifinal Preview: Wisconsin vs. North Texas Basketball

    Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Off-Season Preview

    March 30, 2023
    WI Sports Heroics
    Facebook Twitter RSS
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisement
    • Privacy Policy
    • Store
    © 2023 WISportsHeroics All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.