Minnesota Senator Tina Smith (DFL) is hoping that she can put some pressure on Comcast to get them to negotiate a deal with Bally Sports North and get the Minnesota Twins back on TV in the Twin Cities.
Smith sent a letter to top executives urging them to put the games back on the air but it could be a long shot, as one of the attorney's for comcast told a judge in Houston that they are an an impasse.
"My message yesterday to the chairman of Comcast, is basically figure it out. Have some urgency," said Senator Smith. "Because a lot of people are really missing not being able to watch Minnesota baseball."
Smith, speaking to WCCO's Drivetime with DeRusha, says it's her job to be a voice of her constituents who are frustrated.
"I obviously don't have any control over this contract or contract negotiation, and I know they can be complicated," Smith explained. "I think that my job here is just to shine a light on this and try to put some public pressure on this big company."
In early may, Comcast blacked out 15 regional sports networks in a contract dispute. The cutoff affects games played by a dozen Major League Baseball teams based in nine states including Minnesota. Comcast is by far the largest cable provider in the Twin Cities.
Diamond Sports Group, which distributes the networks under the Bally name, called the blackout “disappointing” and blamed Comcast for refusing to “engage in substantive discussions.”
Diamond is currently in process of filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and in separate negotiations with MLB, the NBA and NHL on fulfilling contracts and distribution of those regional sports networks. All three leagues have said they do not believe Diamond can fulfill their obligation to keep games on television in local markets.
Diamond declared bankruptcy just over a year ago as the result of a heavy debt load incurred in an earlier financial transaction.
