As we await the final plan for the Atlanta Braves' television future, a plan for what could materialize surfaced. According to the Sports Business Journal, they're looking into a direct-to-distributor model for their local broadcasts this season.
This plan could be a partnership among multiple teams across multiple leagues, including the Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the Nashville Predators of the NHL. The Braves have previously been on the same channel as the Hawks and Predators, the previous regional sports network (RSN) that they all just departed from.
Regardless of whether the partnership between these teams forms, this report further confirmed that the Braves intend to launch their own network in time for the start of next season. They have already begun hiring sales personnel.
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The sources indicated the Braves are in talks to negotiate distribution deals with traditional carriers such as Comcast, Charter and DirecTV. Virtual distributors such as YouTube TV and Hulu are also on the table.
The Braves and Grizzlies did not immediately respond to Sports Business Journal for comment. The Atlanta Hawks declined to comment. Predators CMO Bill Wickett said to the outlet that the Predators have not talked with the Braves about being part of this potential new network.
A search for a new TV home began when Main Street Sports Group, the owner of the FanDuel Sports Network channels, missed a payment with the St. Louis Cardinals. This led to the nine MLB teams still under contract to terminate their deals ahead of another potential plunge into bankruptcy. The NBA has had its teams pull out as well. NHL teams have been pulling out one by one over the past couple of seasons.
Most MLB teams will take their TV rights to MLB to produce their broadcasts in-house. However, the Braves have opted to do something different and start something new on their own. How this plan impacts in-market viewing on streaming is to be determined. It can be presumed that there will be an option available.
At this time, spring training games are being carried on the local Gray Media TV stations across the Southeastern United States. This is part of a multi-year contract that was signed ahead of the 2025 season. There has been speculation that this would grow into a larger deal with their regular-season games televised on Gray channels.
Earlier this month, the Braves said a plan would be announced in the coming weeks. Opening day is set for March 27. It would make sense that this is settled sometime soon. They have to have programming and advertisement deals figured out within the next four weeks.
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