Royals fans hoping for a new TV deal were disappointed Tuesday. The club announced that they will continue with current rights holder Diamond Sports Group for one more season. The Royals are one of four MLB clubs that are part owner of their regional sports network. The network will rebrand to FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City after the daily fantasy company took over the naming rights for Diamond’s 16 RSN’s last month. Bally Sports had been the rights holder after a long-time agreement with Fox Sports ended following Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox. Fans will be able to stream games in-market without blackout restrictions using the FanDuel Sports Network app or on Amazon Prime Video, but both require a paid add-on subscription. The Royals were in the top 10 for TV ratings for MLB teams this year. President of Business Operations Brooks Sherman said there is a possibility that games will be broadcast over the air in KC in the future. He said the Royals will realize less revenue from the deal compared to last year and that the contract will be open for negotiation after 2025. MLB had also made a bid for the rights.
Royals Sign One Year Deal to Continue with Diamond Sports Group
