Bally Sports faces deadline with payment to Guardians
Akron Beacon Journal
Stop if you’ve read this before clarity is coming.
There should be some resolution on the Cleveland Guardians-Bally Sports situation come July 1, according to reports.
The Guardians are one of five teams whose final payments from Diamond Sports Group/Bally Sports is due over the course of the next month or so.
The others are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
To recap: a federal bankruptcy judge ruled last month that Diamond had to pay the full amount of rights fees they owed to those ballclubs or their rights would revert to Major League Baseball. The Rangers are first up with a payment due Thursday.
The Guardians, Diamondbacks and Twins are owed theirs on July 1. The Reds are due July 15.
MLB trade rumors:
Shane Bieber’s evolution and the ever-present possibility the Guardians could trade him
Closure of some sort could be in the offing in the near future, if Bally Sports elects not to move forward with the remaining 25% it owes on the Guardians’ $55 million contract. Considering the seemingly interminable amount of time this situation has gone on, it will be a relief for Guardians fans to have it over.
In some respects, depending on outcome, it could improve the access to games in Northeast Ohio.