Major League Baseball fans have struck out from watching their teams, as Comcast and Diamond Sports Group failed to reach a new carriage agreement.
The result is teams on the Bally’s Sports regional networks have gone dark. The blackout affects 15 regional sports networks that broadcast local games, including the Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and defending champion Texas Rangers.
The networks also cover some National Basketball Association and National Hockey League clubs. But the advent of the playoffs in those leagues has shifted most of those games to national TV outlets.
The MLB teams affected include the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, and Miami Marlins.
Comcast said that it would credit affected subscribers for the lost networks and that most customers would automatically receive $8 to $10 a month. “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,” said a Comcast spokesman.
Comcast declined to say how many customers were affected by the blackout.
Comcast’s carriage deal with Diamond expired at the end of September, when the largest regional sports broadcaster was in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings.
