DENVER (KDVR) — There is uncertainty about the future of Colorado Rockies broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet this season.
All of the AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which alerted teams Friday that it cannot afford the TV rights, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The unit’s president reportedly sent a letter to all the teams suggesting that the company wants to transfer the TV rights and ownership of the networks to the teams, according to the report. That proposal would theoretically leave the Rockies, Utah Jazz and Vegas Golden Knights holding the AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain network.
Warner Bros. Discovery set a March 31 deadline to transfer ownership — a week before the Rockies home opener — and said bankruptcy for the networks is possible after that date.
If the Rockies do not have someone paying them for these TV rights, that would put tens of millions in revenue up in the air. That number was about $40 million back in 2019, ESPN reported at the time — or about 15% of the team’s revenue.
Just recently, the Rockies reportedly did not get the full amount due for rights in the AT&T deal.