Given everything currently happening around Diamond Sports Group and its Bally Sports regional networks, you’d assume that Sinclair, of which DSG is a subsidiary, would be focused on getting out of the sports game.
According to CEO Chris Ripley, the opposite is true.
“Sports is still at the heart of this company,” Ripley said in a recent interview with Next TV. “Take a look at what drives our business on the local media side and the broadcast side, it’s sports. And we continue to believe that it should be gamified and more highly integrated with sports betting, but also, not-for-money interactivity for virtual goods, or badging, or recognition.”
Diamond Sports is currently in bankruptcy and suing Sinclair over alleged misconduct, including fraudulent transfers of assets and breaches of contracts. However, Ripley really wants to let people know that Diamond’s problems are not Sinclair’s problems.
“Diamond is on its way,” he said. “It has its own management team, it has an independent board. We provide management services, and you know, it will figure out its own way, Largely Sinclair’s passive at this point. We’ve been in that position for quite some time now. And we just have to support Diamond and whatever its future may be. And you know, that’s getting worked out right now. But we’re largely bystanders, and outside viewers just like you.”
Meanwhile, as so many MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA franchises look to extricate themselves from Diamond’s regional sports networks, Ripley thinks it presents an opportunity for Sinclair’s local broadcasting stations.
“I think any sport should be looking at their strategy and including over-the-air broadcast as a significant component,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be everything, but having a component of your sport on the most broadly available and most broadly watched platform will continue to make your sport healthy, and that will only be accelerated by Next-Gen TV.”
Sinclair owns The Tennis Channel, has a minority stake in YES Network, and operates Marquee Network along with the Chicago Cubs.
[Next TV]
