NEW YORK — Twins games will be broadcast on Comcast’s cable system starting Thursday after Comcast and Diamond Sports Group reached agreement on a new deal, the parent company of Bally Sports North announced Monday.
But there’s a catch: BSN will now be part of Comcast Xfinity’s “Ultimate TV” package and will no longer be available in the basic “Popular TV” package. The higher plan, which already includes sports channels like NFL Network and MLB Network, will cost $20 more per month, but Comcast will offer three months free for subscribers who upgrade.
BSN programming, including Twins games and many Lynx games, has been off the air since May 1 on Xfinity and Midco cable systems, meaning a significant portion of baseball fans have been unable to watch more than half of their team’s games this season. This wasn’t just a Twins issue; the three-month hiatus also affected subscribers of 14 other Valley-area sports networks across the country.
The deal doesn’t include a standalone direct-to-consumer streaming option, but it does restore Comcast Xfinity subscribers’ ability to stream games on the Comcast app.
“We appreciate the patience of Twins fans” while the two sides negotiate a new contract, Twins spokesman Dustin Morse said in a statement. “We look forward to enjoying our time together over the next two months as we strive for the postseason.”
Diamond signed long-term deals earlier this year to carry its network with Charter Communications Inc., DirecTV Inc., Cox Communications Inc. and Fubo Inc., and now has deals with all the major distributors. It remains to be seen whether the company will force other carriers to put Bally’s network on their higher tiers, allowing customers who don’t want to receive the network to avoid paying.
The agreement, part of the Diamonds’ years-long effort to survive bankruptcy last summer, paves the way for the Barry Network to negotiate new contracts with NBA and NHL teams. The Twins’ contract with BSN expires in October, and it’s unclear whether the team will have a new deal beyond 2025.
Major League Baseball has also offered to produce television broadcasts for teams that choose not to continue their deals with Diamond Sports Group, such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres this season.
