Comcast is not interested in running the regional sports networks Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to shut down, according to a published report.
Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League all have teams whose games are carried by WBD’s AT&T Sports Nets in Pittsburgh, Houston and Denver.
Rather than seeing those networks shut down -- and stop paying right fees -- the league reached out to Comcast, which has TV stations in those markets and operates its own constellation of five regional sports networks, according to Sports Business Journal. Comcast a year ago sold its majority stake in another RSN, NBC Sports Washington, to Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
Comcast declined the new overture, according to SBJ.
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If WBD shuts down its RSNs and the Ballys RSN go into bankruptcy and look to reduce the payments they make to teams for rights to air games, the leagues might be forced to follow through on their declaration that they will broadcast the games themselves.
Yesterday, Major League Baseball said it was starting its own local media unit and hired three senior RSN executives who could oversee the production and distribution of games. ■
