It was not surprising to hear Judge Christopher Lopez’s decision regarding the long-simmering problem in sports terms after 20 weeks of monitoring the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy scenario. Since the event initially came before him in March 2023, Judge Lopez has peppered his criticism from the bench with remarks about his Texas Rangers. He is a self-proclaimed fan of the great old game. ” There’s going to be someone who’s going to turn on their television and be able to see the Detroit Tigers enjoy, and that’s really crucial”, Judge Lopez said Thursday, as he prepared to shut the books on the long-running debt situation. ” It sounds not-important, but it’s important. The British experience is just as important as supporting your staff as it is supporting you if you’ve had a difficult day and want to return home and play the game with family. Judge Lopez approved Diamond’s reorganization plan, which will allow the owner and operator of the 16 FanDuel Sports Network RSNs to enter the 2025 year with agreements in place with at least six Major League Baseball venues. Even though Diamond had fewer employees than the 14 MLB franchises with which it had previously filed for Chapter 11 safety, it should be noted that the company appeared to have only had one football partner as recently as a fortnight ago. Returning to their individual identity RSNs for the 2025 year are the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays. After a burst of late-dealing that almost pretended to start with the hearing on Thursday morning, Diamond has acquired in-market streaming freedom for each of the six clubs. Discussions with the Kansas City Royals, the only remaining group without a formal commitment, are continuing. Because ball is generally the only game in town for the majority of its six-month time, Diamond’s MLB partnerships are vital to its status as a year-round delivery system for in-market sports. The total amount of group commitments to 27 is compared to the company’s stuffed winter slate, which includes 13 NBA teams and eight NHL clubs who have chosen to keep it out through their local channels. Before the debt trials began, Diamond held the right to 42 team across 19 systems, a lineup that included 16 NBA, 14 MLB and 12 Tournament partners. Diamond said it expects to finish the restructuring process “in the approaching days” in a statement released shortly after the endorsement was granted. Under the terms of the plan, Diamond will have slashed its debt load from some$ 8.67 billion to$ 200 million. While Judge Lopez’s decision frees Diamond of a considerable amount of cargo, the widespread challenges of the pay-TV area are n’t about to die alongside the agency’s canceled Bonds. According to projections made on Thursday in the court, Diamond anticipates losing an additional 26 % of its TV subscribers by 2027, with a projected decrease in its linear base from 22.6 million to 16.7 million. The RSNs are still anticipating a loss of about 3.6 million paying customers over the next three years, despite the projected gain of 2.3 million direct-to-consumer subs. Even the seasoned cable industry veterans are having trouble retaining their full fan base because the pay-TV bundle is evolving so quickly. The Atlanta Braves ‘ president and CEO, Derek Schiller, claim that only 35 % of the population who resides in its sprawling TV network now has access to the club that was once all but indisputable in the old SuperStation era. ( The Braves ‘ territory ranges beyond the Peach State and into adjacent markets throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas. ) About 15 years ago, the Braves ‘ reach was closer to 80 %. As one might expect, the losses on the distribution side of the ledger are expected to take a bite out of Diamond’s cash-generating activities. Per the same filing, Diamond estimates that linear distribution revenues will slump 47 % in three years ‘ time, falling from$ 1.48 billion in 2024 to$ 776 million in 2027. The advertising outlook looks to be quite a bit more stable, with sponsorship revenues expected to slip 18 % in the same period, from$ 368 million to$ 302 million. The company should save a lot on rights costs because so many of the Diamond renewals have been built around discount fees. The RSNs ‘ expected salary reduction for their team partners will be close to$ 1.5 billion this year, or$ 982 million in 2027, which represents a nearly 35 % savings. At least one team member seems cautiously optimistic about the company’s future if Diamond still has work to do. ” We are extremely hopeful that they’re going to be successful”, Schiller said. The first step toward them becoming a more prosperous entity is to get out of bankruptcy. A reconstituted agreement is reached with us where they receive both the goods they want and the goods they receive. … It’s a positive on both sides and something that we’re actually really excited about “.In the near term, at least, an awful lot of people will likely benefit from Diamond’s imminent escape from bankruptcy. It would be mistaken to ignore the plight of the anonymous individuals who have a stake in the case, as Judge Lopez noted at the confirmation hearing’s conclusion when she described how astronomical dollar amounts in play tend to make outsiders interpret legal matters like the Diamond saga through the lens of Big Business. The judge will be looking into a number of personal bankruptcy cases next week, and while they may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, they are of particular significance to those attempting to save their homes and cars. ” Today, you’re going to save a lot of jobs”, the judge said Thursday at the end of the company’s confirmation hearing. Many people may not understand the technical terms being used today, but they will soon be paid.” The company parted ways with the Cincinnati Reds, who had a 20 % stake in their hometown RSN, as part of a final piece of housekeeping before Diamond’s reorganization. MLB Media announced that it would produce and distribute Cincy’s games the following season shortly after Diamond purchased the club’s stake for$ 1. The judge opened the proceedings by congratulating his law clerks for passing the Texas Bar Exam in a eponymous gesture in keeping with his advocacy for the young man. Nearly every attorney who addressed the court made a point of applauding the clerk’s accomplishments. At the conclusion of a process that was n’t always collegial, it produced a number of very human moments. ” This case was no layup, not for anyone”, said Judge Lopez, before thanking the various attorneys and mediators who toiled on the case for the last 20 months. There was a lot of work involved in this. And with that, he signed the final order.
— Additional reporting by Eric Jackson