LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Tens of thousands of Tigers fans in Michigan will have to find a new way to watch their favorite team. Bally Sports Detroit has been pulled off of Xfinity as Comcast and Diamond Sports Group failed to reach a new deal. Diamond Sports Group owns 18 networks under the Bally Sports name across the country and has broadcasting rights to over 30 professional teams across the MLB, NHL and NBA.
In a statement released late Tuesday, Bally Sports said in part, “Unfortunately, Comcast has rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air and instead they pulled our signals while we continue to pursue a multi-year renewal agreement. As a result, Bally Sports broadcasts are unavailable to Comcast subscribers.”
With Bally Sports Detroit no longer on Xfinity, customers can no longer watch Detroit Tigers games. Depending on how long the two sides remain at odds in negotiations, fans may also lose access to Red Wings and Pistons games as well when the NHL and NBA seasons begin in the fall.
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Xfinity released a statement Wednesday regarding the new deal:
Unfortunately, our programming agreement with Diamond Sports Group has expired. This means we no longer have the rights to carry their channels, including your local Bally Sports network.
The loss of this channel will result in savings that we’ll pass along to you, and you’ll see a monthly credit on your bill in the coming weeks. You don’t need to do anything to receive your credit; we’ll automatically apply it to your upcoming monthly bill statement.
We know that unexpected changes to your channel lineup can be frustrating. We’ve been flexible with Diamond Sports Group, who is in bankruptcy proceedings, but have been unable to reach an agreement that’s fair for our customers.
Great sports programming, including NBA, NHL, and MLB national coverage, is still available with Xfinity. Just say “Sports” into your Xfinity Voice Remote to explore your options.
We remain committed to bringing you the best in entertainment and will continue to work to provide you with the most choices at the lowest cost.
Thank you for being an Xfinity customer.
“We have been very flexible with Diamond Sports Group for months as they work through their bankruptcy proceedings, providing them with an extension on the Bally Sports Regional Networks last fall and a unilateral right to extend the term for another year, which they opted to not exercise. We’d like to continue carrying their networks, but they have declined multiple offers and now we no longer have the rights to this programming. We will proactively credit our customers for the costs associated with them – most will automatically receive $8 to 10 per month in credits.”
At the moment, Tigers fans who have Xfinity have a few options to watch games while Bally Sports remains off Xfinity. Bally Sports channels are still on cable or streaming services such as FuBo TV, DirecTV or DirecTV STREAM. Bally Sports also offers streaming on their website or app, even for those in market, with Bally Sports+ and MLB.TV offers streaming of Tigers games but only for those outside the state of Michigan.
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