MINNEAPOLIS — There's finally some good news for thousands of Twins fans who have been unable to follow their favorite team on TV all summer.
Diamond Sports Group announced a deal with Comcast to carry all 15 of its Bally Sports networks on Xfinity, including Bally Sports North, the television home of the Minnesota Twins.
Bally will return to Xfinity starting Thursday, Aug. 1.
There is a catch, however. Under terms of the deal, Bally Sports will only be available on the Xfinity Ultimate plan, which is the most expensive tier among the company's current cable lineup options.
Comcast removed Bally Sports from its channel lineups in early May after previous carriage agreement talks broke down. Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2023 as it faced nearly $8 billion in debt.
“Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity," said David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond Sports, in a news release.
“We appreciate Diamond Sports working with us to reach a solution that returns the Bally Sports RSNs to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports,” said Greg Rigdon, President of Content Acquisition for Comcast, in a statement.
While Bally holds the rights to telecast Twins games, the team was not directly involved in the dispute between Bally and Comcast. The Twins are part of an extensive roster of professional sports teams carried by Bally nationwide, which also includes the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Wild.
Xfinity customers will also be able to stream games using their Xfinity credentials on the Bally Sports app.
The return of televised baseball comes at a great time for Twins fans, as the team enters the critical final two months of the season in its bid to make a return to the playoffs.
