Comcast Expects to Lose 15 Bally Sports Channels in Fee Dispute

Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg News

A man holds a television remote control. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Comcast Corp. said it expects its cable-TV customers to lose access to 15 Bally regional sports networks at midnight in a fee dispute with Diamond Sports Group.

“We’d like to continue carrying their networks, but they have declined multiple offers and now we no longer have the rights to this programming,” Comcast said in a statement Tuesday evening.

The Philadelphia-based cable-TV giant said customers would automatically receive $8 to $10 per month in credits for the channels if they are no longer available.

Diamond, which is working through a debt restructuring in bankruptcy court, said in a separate statement that Comcast rejected terms similar to other distributors as well as a proposed extension that would have kept the channels on its systems.

The unit of TV station-owner Sinclair Inc. said Comcast customers can access the sports channels through Fubo, DirecTV or through the Bally Sports+ streaming service in certain markets

(Updates with Diamond statement in last two paragraphs.)