Payment keeps MLB's Rangers on Bally Sports; what does it mean for Twins?

In the ongoing showdown between Diamond Sports — the parent company that owns the Bally Sports regional networks — and Major League Baseball, Thursday brought about news that represents the status quo.

Diamond Sports reportedly made its full payment to the Texas Rangers on Thursday, a notable development that could give a hint about what will happen with the Twins in a couple weeks.

The Rangers were one of four teams — along with the Twins, Guardians and Diamondbacks — waiting to be paid by Diamond, which filed for bankruptcy in March and had only paid 75% of what it owed those teams on an initial payment to show games this year. A judge ruled two weeks ago that Diamond Sports must pay those teams in full or relinquish the rights to Major League Baseball.

Texas was the first of those four teams with another payment due, and it was thought that how Diamond proceeded could provide a clue as to how it will handle other clubs. The next payment is due to the Twins, Diamondbacks and Guardians on July 1.

While no two deals are the same, it is notable that Diamond caught up on its first payment and made the next full payment to the Rangers on a contract that is believed to pay the ballclub $111 million in 2023 — about twice as much as the Twins' $54.8 million.

The contract with the Rangers runs for several more seasons, though, while the Twins' deal with Diamond is up at the end of this season.

Diamond Sports skipped payments to the Padres in late May, and MLB took over broadcasts of those games as well as distribution via traditional and direct-to-consumer platforms.

Whether that happens to the Twins or the other teams due payment on July 1 remains to be seen.