from Michael King of The Streamable,

Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley said during the company’s 2Q 2021 Earnings Call on Wednesday that the company remains committed to launching a direct-to-consumer Bally Sports App in the first half of 2022, but they have another streaming deal to worry about.

Ripley said streaming rights for the NBA and NHL on the Bally RSNs were up for renewal in the coming months. These are to continue offering TV Everywhere access via the Bally Sports App.

Despite this, he was confident of Sinclair’s position, pointing out that they are the only bidder in place for the digital rights for the two leagues.

“You know we are the only buyer for those, you know, there is no one else they can be sold to,” Ripley said. “So, we have a relatively good position.”

Ripley wouldn’t go into detail regarding specifics surrounding the negotiations, other than to say that negotiations were “productive.”

“We’re having productive conversations and negotiations … at this point, the existence of a deadline, being the next season, we think will be a helpful forcing factor to finish those drive them to the finish line,” he said. “I would point back to my comments around what goes into the dynamics of a negotiation around market competition and comparables and you know it as it relates to the digital rights.”

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