Twins games will remain on Bally Sports for remainder of 2023 season

The Twins will remain on Bally Sports North for the rest of the 2023 season, according to a source with knowledge of the network's plans, after BSN's parent company, Diamond Sports Group, made a payment of several million dollars to the team by Saturday's deadline.

The payment, part of the $54.8 million rights fee for 2023 that the sides agreed to more than a dozen years ago, ends the uncertainty about whether DSG's bankruptcy would cause the company to abandon its contract with the Twins. The 12-season contract, which expires this fall, loses money for the network because more than 37% of its former subscribers have dropped cable or satellite over the past decade, according to testimony by Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack in bankruptcy court in late May.

But BSN, which hopes to strike a new deal with the Twins for next year and beyond, chose to maintain its ties with the team, even at a loss, for the season's final three months.

The Twins, Guardians, Diamondbacks and Rangers jointly sued DSG, which operates 18 Bally-branded regional sports networks around the country, after the broadcaster missed payments in April, and a federal court ruled that the company must either pay in full or terminate their contracts and return the broadcasting rights to the teams.

The Rangers received their most recent payment last month, and the Twins, who earn nearly $60 million from BSN for broadcast rights and other fees, received their payment this week. DSG originally announced its intention to drop its contract with the Diamondbacks, but the two sides last week announced they are negotiating a way to remain on the air.

MLB has committed to step in for any team dropped by Diamond Sports, and already produces and distributes Padres games after Bally Sports San Diego terminated its contract in May.

Michael Rand contributed to this report.