The Kansas City Royals didn’t see any interruption in their 2023 television broadcasts, despite the parent company for broadcast partner Bally Sports Kansas City filing for bankruptcy, and a recent ruling should ensure it doesn’t happen in 2024, either.
But after the 2024 season, it could be a whole new ballgame.
Diamond Sports Group, the company that owns Bally Sports Kansas City and 18 other affiliated regional sports networks, won court approval for a plan to wind down its operations at the end of September 2024, after Major League Baseball concludes its regular season. The company then will begin liquidating assets to pay off creditors.
In March, Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after missing a $140 million interest payment on its debt. At that time, the company had about $425 million of cash on hand and held about $8.67 billion in debt.
Bally Sports Kansas City was kept out of the bankruptcy pleading, meaning it was able to make fee payments due to the Royals in 2023 and continue broadcasting without interruption.
Nothing in the bankruptcy plan prohibits Diamond Sports from ceasing broadcasts before the 2024 season ends.
Keep reading in the Kansas City Business Journal.