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Comcast subscribers learned Wednesday they can’t watch Twins on BSN

betsy helfand, pioneer press
·3 min read

CHICAGO — The Twins are the hottest team in baseball, so it’s a time where more and more fans are hoping to tune in. And yet, less and less are able to see their team play on TV.

Starting Wednesday, Comcast subscribers were no longer able watch any of the Bally Sports Regional Networks, affecting not just Twins fans but sports fans across the country. That’s because Comcast and Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally RSNs, were unable to reach a new carriage agreement by a Tuesday deadline.

“The Twins are disappointed by this massive disruption for our fans, who simply want to watch our games,” the Twins said in a statement. “This situation is a business negotiation between Comcast and Bally’s. The Twins have no role or voice in this matter. We are hopeful the two parties are able to come to an agreement as soon as possible.”

Comcast customers trying to tune into Bally Sports North on Wednesday were greeted with a message saying that the company had offered Diamond Sports Group “multiple options” to continue carrying their networks, all of which had been declined.

“We have been very flexible with Diamond Sports Group for months as they work through their bankruptcy proceedings, providing them with an extension on the Bally Sports Regional Networks last fall and a unilateral right to extend the term for another year, which they opted to not exercise,” Comcast said in a statement. “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.”

As a result, Comcast is planning on applying a monthly credit to customers in coming weeks that will be between $8-10 per month.

Diamond Sports Group, in a statement of its own, alleged that Comcast “has refused to engage in substantive discussion.”

“It’s disappointing that Comcast rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air and that Comcast indicated that it intends to pull the signals, preventing fans from watching their favorite local teams,” Diamond Sports Group said in a statement.

Already, Twins fans who use streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV have been unable to view games for years, a massive source of frustration both for the Twins and for many of their fans. Now, fans have even fewer options to watch the Twins.

Fubo and DirecTV will continue to carry Bally Sports North, and Twins fans who are out of market can watch games on MLB.TV. In-market fans will still face blackout restrictions on MLB.TV.

While it looked as if the Twins, hoping to expand their reach, might move on from Bally Sports North this offseason after their long-term contract expired, they ended up re-upping with Diamond Sports Group for the current season.

Caleb Boushley called up

The Twins called up Caleb Boushley, a Wisconsinite, on Wednesday morning to add a fresh arm to the bullpen.

Boushley has been pitching out of the Triple-A Saints’ rotation, where he had a 4.00 earned-run average across five starts. He entered Wednesday having made just one major-league appearance in his career, pitching for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers last season.

“It gets your heart racing when you get the call,” he said. “There is a slight familiarity with the process now. I’ve done it before. I’m just excited to have an opportunity again.”

To make room on the roster, the Twins optioned Kody Funderburk, who threw two innings on Tuesday, to Triple-A. The rookie had a 3.38 ERA.

Briefly

The Twins will return home to Target Field on Friday with Chris Paddack on the mound to host the Red Sox.

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