Bally Sports will end MLB broadcast network after 2024 season

Bally Sports, the Regional Sports Network (RSN) that is resposible for broadcasting games for sports teams in all major sports across the country, announced in bankruptcy filings last week that it intends to cut broadcasting for all MLB teams after the 2024 season. Those teams will be responsible for finding new groups to broadcast in 2025 and beyond.

Diamond Sports Group is the parent company of Bally Sports. Bally Sports Midwest has been the network for Cardinals games since Fox Sports Midwest's rebrand in 2021. In the past, Fox Sports Midwest has been the primary broadcasting company for the Cardinals.

There are plenty of other major networks that could cover games, and Major League Baseball took over for the Padres and Diamondbacks broadcasting networks for the second half of the 2023 season, and it is likely this year that more teams lose Bally Sports coverage during the 2024 season. NBC Sports owns rights for broadcasting for certain teams, YES Network broadcasts for the Yankees, and Spectrum Sports would be an option. The Cardinals could also create a broadcasting network whole cloth as a franchise.

Bill DeWitt and John Mozeliak have been adamant that the RSN's bankruptcy is not a factor for spending this offseason, and the Cardinals are sure to find plenty of other willing networks given the team's large following both locally and in neighboring states. St. Louis's payroll will reach a figure close to $200 million this year, and that total shouldn't be affected by the situation at Diamond Sports.

Stay tuned to Redbird Rants for more information on the Cardinals' broadcasting information over the next twelve months. While St. Louis games will be broadcast both live and through streaming services on Bally Sports Midwest for the 2024 season, future seasons are in jeopardy.