Twins to return on TV for Comcast, Midco customers

NEW YORK -- Twins baseball will be back on many television screens of fans around Twins Territory starting Friday.

Diamond Sports Group and Comcast announced on Monday that they have reached a new carriage agreement for the distribution to Comcast/Xfinity and Midco customers of regional sports networks owned by Diamond, which includes Bally Sports North, the current television home of Twins baseball.

As part of the new deal, Bally Sports North will be made available to customers subscribed at the Ultimate TV level through Xfinity on Thursday -- and for consumers who had not been subscribed at that level, Comcast is offering a three-month promotional trial that will take Twins fans through the end of the baseball season at no extra cost.

Bally Sports North had not been available to Comcast/Xfinity and Midco customers since May 1, following the expiration of the previous carriage agreement between Diamond and Comcast.

“We are pleased that Minnesota Twins baseball on Bally Sports North will again be available to Comcast and Midco subscribers throughout Twins Territory,” said a statement from a Twins spokesperson. “We appreciate Comcast and Diamond Sports Group working to reach a deal that restores television access on this important carrier, we thank Twins fans for their patience and we look forward to the shared excitement of our postseason push these next two months.”

A Comcast spokesperson said that Xfinity customers not already subscribed at the Ultimate TV level -- available at a $20 increase per month from the “Popular TV” level at which Bally Sports North had previously been available -- would receive instructions on how to access the three-month trial, which will also be made available on the company’s website.

Xfinity customers will also be able to stream Bally Sports North content on the Bally Sports app by authenticating with their Xfinity credentials, as had been the case prior to the expiration of the old agreement in May.

“We appreciate Diamond Sports working with us to reach a solution that returns the Bally Sports RSNs to our Ultimate TV customers in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports,” said Greg Rigdon, President of Content Acquisition for Comcast, in a statement. “We look forward to making these networks available on August 1, so customers can enjoy watching their favorite teams again.”

“Entering a new carriage agreement with Comcast, our third largest distributor, is a critical step forward in our restructuring effort, and we are pleased that fans will again be able to access broadcasts of their local teams through Xfinity,” said Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack in a statement. “With certainty on our distribution, we are focused on finalizing an agreement with the NHL and resolving our ongoing negotiations with the NBA. We are mindful that time is of the essence with basketball and hockey seasons fast approaching, and once agreements with our team and league partners are complete, we intend to move expeditiously to present a plan of reorganization to the Court.”