As part of a deal between the two companies, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. will christen the FOX regional sports network under the Bally's Corp. moniker, including the renaming of two of the services, in the months ahead.
The parties announced that in the coming months, the Bally Sports name and logo will be featured as part of a rebranding of the FOX-owned services that Sinclair purchased from The Walt Disney Co. in August 2019.
As part of the new headings, Prime Ticket — the home to MLB's Los Angeles Angels, the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks — will become Bally Sports SoCal. Sports Time Ohio, the home of MLB's Cleveland Indians, will become known as Bally Sports Great Lakes.
Additionally, a pair of sub-channels, FOX Sports Carolinas and Fox Sports Tennessee, will be sunset. Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes NHL games and related content that have aired under those brands will migrate to Bally Sports South, formerly known as Fox Sports South, and Bally Sports Southeast, formerly Fox Sports Southeast.
Following the rebranding, the Sinclair owned-and-operated RSN portfolio will comprise the following networks: Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West and Bally Sports Wisconsin.
The deal calls for Bally's to pay for naming rights for the RSNs, buy a set amount of advertising on Sinclair outlets and have its sport-betting information integrated into various programming on the RSNs.
"Rolling out Bally's iconic logo across Sinclair's regional sports networks is a rewarding first step in a transformational partnership that is going to revolutionize the U.S. sports betting, gaming and media industries," Bally's Corp. President and CEO George Papanier said in a release. "We look forward to integrating Bally's unique content, including the award-winning daily fantasy sports platform we are acquiring from Monkey Knife Fight, across Sinclair's live game day coverage."
Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley said on the company's third-quarter 2020 earnings call that the company was continuing work on a new sports offering that will provide users with more personalized viewing experiences, which over time will include sports betting and social gaming elements. Ripley said the company plans to launch the new apps at the beginning of the 2021 MLB season this spring.
