Texas Rangers Seek Unpaid Rights Money From Bally Sports Owners

The Texas Rangers have joined Major League Baseball and two other teams in a legal effort to get the rights fees owed while Diamond Sports Group goes through bankruptcy proceedings.

The Athletic reported that the Rangers filed the motion after DSG‚ which is the parent company of Bally Sports and holds the broadcast rights for 14 MLB teams, skipped its rights fee payment on April 15.

Last month MLB, the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians filed a similar motion after DSG skipped their rights fee payment.

The Rangers are now the fourth team to disclose that they have not received a rights payment. The other is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Several other teams that partner with DSG have received payments.

On Wednesday a bankruptcy judge will consider the motion to compel DSG to pay at least some of the rights fees owed.

DSG’s failure to make its scheduled payments to teams like the Rangers could allow those teams, along with MLB, to begin a process to break free of those contracts. The Rangers sent a letter to DSG before it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy stating it would terminate its TV rights agreement if the company became insolvent.

The Rangers consider the agreement to be severed, while DSG disagrees. The Rangers have reportedly sought a new broadcast partner for the past month, with DSG’s knowledge, per a mutual agreement. The Rangers are continuing to explore that through the end of April.

From the time DSG skipped the Rangers’ payment, it has 30 days to cure the payment. A bankruptcy judge will consider MLB’s full motion on May 31.

The Rangers originally signed a 20-year, $3 billion deal in 2010 with Fox Sports Southwest, which was purchased by DSG and became Bally Sports Southwest in 2019. It is believed the Rangers are owed $111 million in 2023.

More From SI’s Inside The Rangers:

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter.