Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated how many teams Diamond Sports Group is removing from its portfolio. Diamond rejected the contracts of two teams and suggested the broadcasting futures of nine others could be in jeopardy. The earlier version of this story also incorrectly reported the number of MLB teams whose Diamond contracts expire after the 2024 season; there are four.

Diamond Sports Group appears to be threatening to drop virtually every MLB team in its portfolio except the Atlanta Braves, barring renegotiations of the deals on more favorable terms. The hearing on Wednesday where that message was delivered caused some chaos in the baseball television world.

Andrew Goldman, an attorney for the broadcaster, said at a federal bankruptcy hearing that Diamond plans to “enter into one broadcast rights agreement, that of the Atlanta Braves. All other teams and all other Major League Baseball agreements will be rejected under the plan.”

That statement doesn’t mean that Diamond — which had a dozen teams in 2024 — now has just one team in its portfolio for the 2025 season. Two of them, the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, are out for the time being after Diamond rejected their contracts . But how many MLB teams Diamond will ultimately carry in 2025 is very much up in the air, and Diamond’s message to the league is that it wants to renegotiate the remaining deals.

“We have put out proposals for many of these clubs, we have provided a lot of due diligence and projections, and our management team has had live conversations with each of these clubs,” Goldman said. “But ultimately the changed plan now puts the decision in the hands of the clubs.”

The contracts of four MLB teams with Diamond expired after this season: the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. Those teams could make new deals with Diamond. (Sports Business Journal reported last week that the Rangers plan to handle the broadcasts themselves and sell the games directly to distributors separate from the MLB.)

That left eight teams under contract through 2025. On Wednesday, Diamond said it wants to take over (retain) the Braves’ contract and reject (drop) the contracts of the Tigers and Rays. But the Tigers and the Rays were also able to negotiate new deals.

Now the five other teams Diamond has deals with — the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins — technically cannot be hired or rejected because they are not a formal part of the bankruptcy proceedings . These teams are called ‘joint venture teams’.

But Diamond has essentially walked away from a joint-venture team before — the San Diego Padres were in the same classification when Diamond decided not to pay the team midway through the 2023 season and the club regained its rights.

“The company is in active dialogue with all of our JV partners, all of whom are aware of the consequences if a deal is not successful,” Goldman said.

Jim Bromley, an attorney for MLB, said the league had no idea Wednesday’s news was coming.

“We had no information about what is being done,” Bromley said. “It’s a shame that we got into trouble this way.”

Diamond and MLB have been at odds throughout the bankruptcy process, with MLB consistently expressing the most doubt about Diamond’s ability to successfully escape liquidation and reorganize into a viable company. It is common for the two parties to poke their chests.

“As Major League Baseball and its clubs have reminded this court no fewer than seven or eight times, I think, … the commissioner’s office has consistently raised two areas of concern,” Goldman said. “No. 1, the clubs are demanding certainty about what will happen to their broadcast agreements. And number two, have expressed concerns about our ability to ‘pay the bills’.

“The amended plan, which we are submitting today … convincingly answers both questions.”

On Wednesday, Goldman said in court that Diamond had largely ceased dealings with the commissioner’s office.

“We have been in direct contact with all of our baseball partner clubs, no longer through the commissioner’s office, but directly with them, and the commissioner’s office is aware of that and fully agrees with that,” Goldman said.

Goldman also pushed back against Bromley’s comment that MLB was “sandbagged,” calling it “simply incorrect.”

A spokesperson for the commissioner declined comment immediately after Wednesday’s hearing.

The drama unfolded Wednesday during a status update hearing, with Diamond submitting a revised plan to emerge from bankruptcy to the court just as the hearing began.

Diamond’s bankruptcy process may be nearing its end. The company set dates of Nov. 14 and 15 for the confirmation hearing, where a judge will give final approval — or not.

Diamond still has deals in place to broadcast NBA and NHL teams, and while it believes its revised plan will be successful, it also includes a “switch” to a wind-down – an option to liquidate the company if the plan not working. out.

Diamond said in a statement after the hearing: “Today marks an important step forward for Diamond with the filing of a baseline plan to enable us to emerge from bankruptcy as a viable, progressive company before the end of the year. We have made proposals to and continue to engage with our MLB team partners regarding future plans. We are confident that through our linear and digital offering we have created the best economical and fan-friendly engine for all our team partners.”

GO DEEPER

MLB Says Teams Carried By Diamond ‘Unable To Plan For 2025 Revenues’, Threatens Legal Action

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)