The Dallas Mavericks ended their partnership with Bally Sports yesterday. The Mavericks join the ever-growing list of sports teams seeking greater control over their media rights and distribution channels. The Dallas Stars, whom they share the American Airlines Center with, joined in too.
The Mavericks’ partnership saw them work with Bally Sports, previously known as FOX Sports, since 2000. They agreed to a termination deal with Diamond Sports Group, Bally’s parent company, which is currently navigating Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This decision means that Bally Sports Southwest will no longer broadcast Mavericks games for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. The team has yet to announce their new broadcasting plans, but audiences speculate that they might join forces with the Dallas Stars’ new free platform, VICTORY+.
The Dallas Stars, who also ended their agreement with Bally Sports earlier this year, asserted themselves into the free-to-air industry by launching VICTORY+, a free streaming service designed to bring all regional home and away games to fans in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. The platform, developed in partnership with A Parent Media Co. Inc., aims to enhance sports broadcasting by making games more accessible without any subscription fees.
Another speculated network is the ABC affiliate, WFAA, whose studios were in Victory Park up until 2021, right next to the American Airlines Center. WFAA hosted a select number of Mavericks games last season due to the conflict with Diamond Sports Group. The WFAA-broadcasted NBA games are free to some 7 million households in the DFW area.
“Our first priority has always been our fan base, and on VICTORY+, fans will be able to stream 100 percent of Stars content for free through this innovative and unique streaming platform for sports programming,” President and CEO of the Dallas Stars, Brad Alberts, said.
The service is set to launch in September 2024, just in time for the new NHL season.
As the Mavericks explore their options, the success of VICTORY+ could serve as an exemplar for other teams looking to break free from traditional regional sports network broadcasts.
The departure of both the Mavericks and the Stars from Bally Sports marks a new era in regional sports broadcasting. As these teams navigate somewhat uncharted territory, the sports media landscape is slated for exciting change. Sports teams who already switched to in-house broadcasting or free-to-air networks include the Seattle Kraken, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and Houston Astros among others.
