Bally Sports Regional Networks signs carriage deal with FuboTV, ending long-term shortage of major streaming bundles

Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Bally Sports regional networks, long absent from major streaming pay-TV packages like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling, have struck a deal with FuboTV.

The agreement involves the 19 RSNs being added to Fubo’s list in the coming weeks. The deal deepens ties between the companies, which have already secured carriage deals for Sinclair’s local television station, Tennis Channel and Chicago’s Marquee Sports Network.

Launched in 2015 as a sports-focused package, Fubo has grown into a general entertainment service with over 1.2 million subscribers. However, it is still behind the top internet package providers, as YouTube and Hulu have 5 million and 4.4 million subscribers respectively.

Like its peers in the streaming pay-TV sector, Fubo faced aggressive bidding from Sinclair on former Fox-branded RSNs, which the company auctioned off for $10.6 billion after the long-delayed Disney-Fox deal was dead, was undone. . The RSN business model was created in the 1990s and 2000s when the number of pay-TV subscribers increased and is characterized by high fees paid by the distributors who have historically been able to earn advertising premiums and achieve high local game ratings. While the increased fee structure has always created some tension in distribution talks, the linear decline in viewership and cable cuts in recent years have undermined RSN’s original business proposition.

Faced with this new reality, some major distributors, including Dish, which operates both a traditional satellite service and Sling TV, objected to the increased cost of carriage. Bally has also launched its own standalone outlet, Bally Sports+, complicating the picture.

“RSNs are an integral part of FuboTV’s sports-first content strategy and our mission to serve passionate local sports fans,” said Henry Ahn, FuboTV’s Chief Business Officer. “We are delighted to be able to offer significant local sports coverage to Fubo subscribers through our new partnership with Bally Sports, the country’s leading provider of local sports rights. Sinclair has been a great partner and we are pleased that we were able to work well together to reach a meaningful and mutually beneficial agreement.”

Will Bell, SVP, Head of Distribution and Network Relations at Sinclair, said Fubo “has a long history of connecting sports fans with their favorite teams and we are excited to expand our partnership with Bally Sports’ regional sports networks on their platform.”