What does the Blues' multi-year deal with Diamond Sports mean for their TV future?

ST. LOUIS – When fans watch the St. Louis Blues game against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, the screen will look a little different.

On Monday, Diamond Sports Group announced a commercial partnership with FanDuel, the online gaming company, that will rebrand Bally Sports' broadcast as FanDuel Sports Network Midwest. FanDuel Sports Network will broadcast the remaining 68 Blues games that Diamond Sports is contracted to play this season.

Apart from a new network name and new graphics, everything else remains the same. Play-by-play announcer John Kelly, color analyst Jamie Rivers and rink reporter Andy Strickland will be guests, while Blues Hall of Famer Bernie Federko and host Scott Warmann will host the pregame and postgame.

So the Blues are hoping the situation remains, having recently signed a multi-year extension with Diamond, which is currently trying to emerge from bankruptcy with its regional sports networks (RSNs).

Chris Zimmerman, the Blues' CEO of business operations, said The athlete The club is currently in no danger of losing broadcasts on today's FanDuel Sports Network.

“Our specific RSN within the entire Diamond ecosystem is actually not included in the bankruptcy filing,” Zimmerman said. “I am absolutely confident that we will broadcast our games and deliver them effectively to our fans, no matter what happens on the field.”

But with Diamond potentially carrying fewer broadcasts from Major League Baseball teams in 2025, Zimmerman understands it would be unwise to give the impression that there are any guarantees in the 18-month bankruptcy saga.

“It would be unfair to overstate trust,” Zimmerman said. “There is uncertainty. … It's a reality for us, for the Cardinals and for every other team. That’s why we all have no choice but to go on a journey of discovery – if not with this partner, then what’s next?”

The Blues, like all professional teams, have tried to predict how their games will be presented to their fans.

For years, RSNs have been the most logical outlet because they reach cable subscribers while also providing a guaranteed source of revenue that allows clubs to remain competitive as salaries rise in their respective sports. But as the number of households subscribing to cable packages declines, the situation is becoming precarious.

“Regional sports television is undergoing a revolution as the way many people now receive their sports programming is fundamentally changing,” Zimmerman said. “The fact is that there are now more teams in more markets and in multiple sports with different strategies. I would like to say that we continue to advance in our understanding of possible new strategies. And we will monitor the results in each market, as will any other team that finds itself in this situation.”

The Blues examined other options:

• Victory+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming service used by the Dallas Stars

• Scripps Sports, a mobile app that is the official streaming home of the Florida Panthers

• A combination of Victory+ and free local television as used by the Anaheim Ducks

“Is there a clear winner?” said Zimmermann. “No – if there was a clear winner it would be a lot easier.”

Therefore, the Blues concluded that it was in their best interest to move forward with Diamond for now.

“There is still a large audience that receives our games this way,” Zimmerman said. “We still have the streaming option with (FanDuel Sports Network), so you don’t have to be part of a cable package to get your Blues games. So we are very confident about the product we will deliver in the coming season.”

However, the club recognizes that the challenging goal in the ever-changing broadcast landscape will be to find the right combination of revenue and fan base support.

“The health of our company depends on our fan base,” Zimmerman said. “We will go where our fans are and we will create opportunities to convey our stories and our live games in a way that works for people. Ultimately, the health of any professional sport depends on the question: “Are we bringing in people?”

“Our business team’s job is to entertain, create a great fan experience and grow the business so we can grow the hockey team. We always say that if we can get someone to a game, they will be a hockey fan. But we have to find other ways because the live audience is only a very small part of the equation for us.”

Zimmerman said the new deal with Diamond “will have no impact on hockey spending.” Zero.”

It has taken a long 1 1/2 years to get to this point but the Blues feel they are in the best possible position.

“The time we invest in figuring out what that path will look like has been a dramatic investment,” Zimmerman said. “The less you actually control, the more demanding everything in business is.

“It's a fluid process, but I'm really happy that we're moving forward with (Diamond). The good news is that it's one of their stronger markets, our broadcast team will be the same, and the core people producing our games have 20 years of experience in Blues hockey. That doesn’t change.”

(Top image: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)