Things are not going well for Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports. They are currently in the process of declaring bankruptcy, and yesterday, they asked a judge if they could walk away from their deal with the Arizona Coyotes as they look to shutter Bally Sports Arizona.
The move was not surprising given Bally Sports’ financial woes, but it left fans asking where they will watch games this season. They didn’t have to wait long, with the announcement of a multi-year deal with Scripps Sports.
Scripps Sports has made a few waves in the hockey world this year, announcing an agreement to air Vegas Golden Knights games first, then a subscription-based streaming app, KnightTime+.
With this deal, 81 of the Coyotes’ 82 games will be broadcast with ABC15 Arizona and the Antenna TV network (channel 95 on COX) in the Valley. This means that fans can watch all but one of the Yotes’ games locally via antenna, an extremely affordable option. The other game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+.
In an interview with PHNX’s Craig Morgan, Coyotes’ owner Alex Meruelo hinted at a future cross-platform app. The lack of an app was a sticking point for some fans, and if Scripps can make one for the Golden Knights, it shouldn’t be hard to make one for the Yotes.
Games will also be available in other areas, including Tucson, Utah, and New Mexico. The additional territories will hopefully allow fans across the Southwest to watch games.
Coming with the Coyotes will be the team’s broadcasting staff. Matt McConnell, Tyson Nash, Todd Walsh, and Jody Jackson are all confirmed to be returning.
While it would have been great for the Coyotes to launch an app along with the announcement, this is still great news for fans. TV antennas cost less than $30 bucks, much cheaper than the cost of cable it took to watch games previously. It’s not perfect, but it seems like a step in the right direction.