Rangers Notify Diamond Sports They May Cut Ties With the Broadcasting Group
The Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball team, have taken the first step towards cutting their ties with Diamond Sports, a broadcasting group that represents the team’s television broadcasting rights.
Diamond Sports owns Fox Sports Southwest, which has been the primary broadcaster for Rangers games. However, the relationship between the team and broadcasters has been strained over the years, with multiple changes in ownership affecting the partnership.
Recently, the team notified Diamond Sports that they intend to exercise their right to open a thirty-day window to negotiate a new contract, which would give them leverage in the negotiations.
This move by the Rangers has been seen as an acknowledgement that the current partnership with Diamond Sports may not be in the team’s best interests. The team is now considering other options for broadcasting their games, including seeking out other broadcasters or even creating their own network.
The decision follows a trend of sports teams taking more control over their broadcasting rights. Streaming services such as Amazon and DAZN are also becoming increasingly involved in sports broadcasting.
The Rangers also recently announced plans to build a new stadium, which is set to open in 2020. The stadium, which will have a capacity of 40,000, is currently under construction in Arlington, where the team has played since 1972.
Fans of the team will be watching these developments closely, as they will affect how they watch and access Rangers games. The team has not yet announced a timeline for any new broadcasting deals, but it is expected that any new partnerships will be in place ahead of the new stadium’s opening.
As the landscape of sports broadcasting continues to shift, it remains to be seen how long-standing partnerships like that between the Rangers and Diamond Sports will continue. However, the Rangers’ decision to open negotiations for new broadcasting rights is a move that signals change is on the horizon.
