DETROIT – Comcast Xfinity customers will no longer be able to watch the Tigers after the company abruptly dropped Bally Sports Detroit in the middle of the night.
Comcast made the move at midnight Tuesday into Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Anyone who goes to Channel 201 will now see this message:
“Bally Sports is no longer available.
“The owner of Bally Sports is in bankruptcy proceedings, and we have offered them multiple options to continue carrying their networks. They have declined each one, and we no longer have the rights to continue carrying their content.
“As a result, we’ll be issuing proactive monthly credits to customers for the loss of this network.”
📄 READ: Here’s how much Comcast is paying customers who lost Bally Sports Detroit
The message includes a QR code for customers to learn more.
“It’s disappointing that Comcast rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air, and that Comcast indicated that it intends to pull the signals, preventing fans from watching their favorite local teams,” parent company Diamond Sports Group said in a statement. “Comcast has refused to engage in substantive discussions despite Diamond offering terms similar to those reached with much larger distributors of ours.”
The Tigers are currently off to their best start in nearly a decade: 17-13 and just 2.5 games out of first place. Their next game is at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Fans outside the market can watch the Tigers on MLB.TV. Bally Sports streams games online and in its app, but it’s unclear if Xfinity logins will work or if fans will have to pay extra for the streaming service.
Xfinity customers received the following email on Wednesday morning:
Unfortunately, our programming agreement with Diamond Sports Group has expired. This means we no longer have the rights to carry their channels, including your local Bally Sports network.
The loss of this channel will result in savings that we’ll pass along to you, and you’ll see a monthly credit on your bill in the coming weeks. You don’t need to do anything to receive your credit; we’ll automatically apply it to your upcoming monthly bill statement.
We know that unexpected changes to your channel lineup can be frustrating. We’ve been flexible with Diamond Sports Group, who is in bankruptcy proceedings, but have been unable to reach an agreement that’s fair for our customers.
Great sports programming, including NBA, NHL, and MLB national coverage, is still available with Xfinity. Just say “Sports” into your Xfinity Voice Remote to explore your options.
We remain committed to bringing you the best in entertainment and will continue to work to provide you with the most choices at the lowest cost.
Thank you for being an Xfinity customer.
Xfinity