Diamond Sports Group LLC is an American media and entertainment company. The company operates FanDuel Sports Network , a group of regional sports channels that was formerly known as the Fox Sports Networks and Bally Sports . The company also has a stake in YES Network .
178-424: Sinclair Broadcast Group formed the company with Byron Allen 's Allen Media Group to acquire 22 regional Fox Sports Networks affiliates and Fox College Sports from The Walt Disney Company , which was required to divest of these networks to secure government antitrust approval. The transaction, initially valued at $ 10.6 billion, is managed through a joint venture called Diamond Holdings Group, and formally closed
356-653: A Silver Slugger award. On September 30, the Rangers clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2016 with a win against the Seattle Mariners . Despite leading the American League West for most of the season and finishing with the same record as the rival and defending champion Houston Astros, they finished second due to the Astros owning the tiebreaker as a result of taking the season series. The Rangers defeated
534-422: A $ 140M interest payment. Diamond’s first-lien lenders will not be affected as part of the restructuring support agreement, but other creditors will convert their debt into equity. Diamond also separated from its parent Sinclair and became an entirely new entity. Diamond Sports Group successfully emerged from bankruptcy on November 14, 2024. During its bankruptcy, Diamond has ended its broadcasting agreements or lost
712-483: A 15% share of the company, and reaching an agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group for a $ 495 million cash payment to settle an earlier lawsuit. On January 26, 2024, committee of unsecured creditors objected to the restructuring agreement, arguing that financing in the restructuring agreement did not have the committee's best interests in mind. The restructuring agreement supersedes the prior agreements with
890-454: A 78–84 record. In 2018, the Rangers partnered with the KBO League 's LG Twins , in business and baseball operations. On September 21, 2018, holding on to a 64–88 record, the Rangers fired Jeff Banister who had led the team since 2015. He was replaced by bench coach Don Wakamatsu for the remainder of the season. The Rangers ended the season at 67–95. Chris Woodward was later selected to be
1068-606: A Canadian charity which builds schools in Africa. On October 17, 2021, Sinclair was struck by a ransomware attack affecting the internal servers and workstations of its television stations, after the alleged hackers breached the stations' internal broadcasting systems via an Active Directory domain that interconnected the company's corporate and local IT networks. The incident had disrupted some of its office and operational networks (including internal servers, email servers, corporate phone lines, and workstations and news graphics systems at
1246-583: A board of five directors, made up of Bob Whitsitt, Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley, Randy Freer , a former Fox Sports / Hulu executive, Mary Ann Turcke , a former COO of the NFL , and David Preschlack (previously President of the NBC Sports Regional Networks ); Preschlack would be elected CEO of Diamond on December 5. On June 23, 2022, Bally Sports soft-launched a direct-to-consumer service known as Bally Sports Plus (or Bally Sports+) in selected markets. It
1424-772: A buyer, Sinclair proposed in May 2014, to return to the FCC the licenses for WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa, Alabama , WJSU-TV in Anniston, Alabama , and WCIV in Charleston, South Carolina , transferring the intellectual properties of those three stations to existing Sinclair-owned stations. One other Allbritton station, WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania , was sold to Media General for $ 83.4 million (equivalent to $ 107 million in 2023). After nearly
1602-801: A deal with Paramount and its UPN network, bringing five affiliates WPTT-TV in Pittsburgh, WNUV-TV in Baltimore, WCGV-TV in Milwaukee, WSTR-TV in Cincinnati and KSMO-TV in Kansas City to the network. In 1996, Sinclair bought out Superior Communications for $ 63 million. In 1997, Sinclair reached a deal with The WB to convert many of the UPN affiliates to The WB. Following the disputes, in August 1998, Sinclair and UPN signed
1780-520: A downturn in the business. On November 18, 2020, Sinclair announced that it had entered into an agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation to acquire the naming rights under a 10-year deal. On January 27, 2021, Sinclair announced that the networks would be rebranded as Bally Sports on March 31. In December 2021, the company reached an extension agreement with the National Hockey League. On May 2, 2022, Diamond Sports Group assembled
1958-457: A feed of its syndicated newscast The National Desk ). Ransomware experts later indicated that the attack was likely linked to Evil Corp., a Russia-based cybergang that was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019 and had been accused prior to the attack of attempting to rebrand itself to evade the sanctions; the hackers are believed to have disseminated the Macaw ransomware strain (which
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#17328514642372136-510: A few days afterward. Many scheduled NFL game telecasts on the 17th were disrupted on its NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates (replaced by a different game feed or by alternative programming). Sinclair also supplied alternative programming feeds to fill airtime on some of the affected stations due to varying difficulties in transmitting and receiving certain syndicated program feeds or to occupy timeslots normally filled by newscasts (mainly from company-owned multicast networks like Stadium and TBD , or via
2314-548: A few years in Texas, due in part to both the team's inconsistent performance and the oppressive heat and humidity that can encompass the area in the summer. Until the Florida Marlins arrived in 1993, Arlington Stadium was often the hottest stadium in the majors, with temperatures frequently topping 100 °F (38 °C) throughout the summer. So the Rangers began playing most of their weekend games between May and September at night,
2492-537: A full-capacity event, calling it "a mistake" and "not responsible". However, former White House medical staff member Dr. William Lang argued that lowering rates of COVID-19 infections and increasing rates of vaccination in Texas gave the decision to hold the game at full capacity more credibility. The Rangers did not enforce a mask policy at the home opener or any of their games. Although the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in Tarrant County more than doubled following
2670-428: A hearing before an administrative law judge . On August 9, 2018, Tribune Media announced that it had terminated the sale agreement with Sinclair, and that it had filed a $ 1 billion lawsuit against the company for breach of contract. Tribune Media CEO Peter Kern stated that the sale "cannot be completed in an acceptable timeframe, if ever"; the suit cited Sinclair's "belligerent and unnecessarily protracted negations" with
2848-454: A high-ranking executive at Sinclair, also created "The Point", a series of conservative editorial segments that were broadcast on stations operated by the group that maintain news departments. In October 2015, Sinclair premiered Full Measure , a syndicated public affairs program hosted by Sharyl Attkisson . On July 1, 2017, Sinclair launched a new daily morning kids' TV block called KidsClick , partnering with This TV . The block
3026-704: A larger dispersal of Newport's 22-station portfolio. That same day, Sinclair purchased Tampa station WTTA for $ 40 million, equivalent to $ 53.1 million in 2023. Two of Sinclair's existing stations in markets affected by the Newport deal, WSTR-TV and KMYS , were sold to Deerfield Media. Deerfield also acquired KBTV-TV , Beaumont, Texas 's Fox affiliate, from Nexstar, with Sinclair assuming operations and merging it into CBS affiliate KFDM . The non-license assets of ABC affiliate WHAM-TV in Rochester, New York , were sold by Newport to Sinclair, with Deerfield purchasing
3204-451: A major string of acquisitions involving television stations and other properties two years later. The beginning of the 2010s saw Sinclair's acquisition strategy intensify. In May 2011, Ring of Honor (ROH), a professional wrestling promotion , was purchased for an undisclosed amount. ROH's flagship program Ring of Honor Wrestling was added onto the schedules of many Sinclair-operated stations. In September 2011, Four Points Media Group
3382-593: A minority stake in YES Network . While Sinclair did not bid on the Cox stations, on April 26, 2019, it was reported that Sinclair was the successful bidder for Fox Sports Networks at $ 10 billion. On August 22, 2019, Sinclair completed the acquisition of FSN and thus FSN is now a wholly owned subsidiary and becoming sisters to Marquee. On January 27, 2020, Sinclair announced that it would sell WDKY-TV in Lexington, Kentucky , and
3560-492: A network that will feature reruns of home improvement, true crime, reality and celebrity-driven shows. In May 2024, Sinclair was reportedly considering selling more than 30% of its 185 broadcasting stations. Sinclair had experimented with using a centralized news organization called News Central that provided prepackaged news segments for distribution to several of the group's stations. These segments were integrated into programming during local news broadcasts. Mark Hyman ,
3738-700: A new UHF television station in Baltimore, expected to be operating by September 1968 on channel 45, no call sign yet assigned. Channel 45, with the call sign WBFF , joined on April 11, 1971. By that time, Chesapeake Engineering Placement Service had changed its name to Chesapeake Television Corporation . The Commercial Radio Institute, by then a division of Chesapeake Television Corporation, founded WPTT (now WPNT ) in Pittsburgh , in 1978, and WTTE in Columbus, Ohio , in 1984. All three stations originally were independents . In 1986, WBFF and WTTE became charter affiliates of
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#17328514642373916-455: A new agreement. In February 1998, Sinclair bought out Sullivan Broadcasting for $ 1 billion. In 1998, Sinclair bought out Max Media Properties, for $ 252 million. In November 2004, Sinclair sold off KSMO-TV in Kansas City to Meredith Corporation for $ 26.8 million. In December 2004, Sinclair divested KOVR-TV in Sacramento to Viacom , now Paramount Global , for $ 285 million. In 2004, as
4094-589: A one-year agreement that will result in the contracts for NBA teams airing on Diamond expiring after the 2023–24 NBA season but will result in the Orlando Magic being paid. Across the board, all NBA teams airing on Diamond Sports will receive a 16% reduction in the money they receive from Diamond Sports but will be able to sell 10 games exclusively to local over-the-air networks . The sold games will continue to be produced by Bally Sports. On October 4, 2023, Diamond announced that it intended to reject its contract with
4272-533: A package of Atlantic Coast Conference games , freeing Raycom to sell the package to other networks. A month later, Raycom announced that The CW had bought the rights. On June 22, 2023, Diamond announced its intention to reject its contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 30, 2023. Diamond and the Arizona Diamondbacks later released a joint statement pushing back the hearing and agreeing to continue Diamond's broadcast of Diamondbacks' games. The contract
4450-653: A postseason fallout between Rodriguez and club management, the reigning AL MVP and newly appointed Rangers captain was traded to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and infield prospect Joaquin Arias . The Rangers battled with the Anaheim Angels and Oakland Athletics for first place in the AL West for much of the 2004 season. Mark Teixeira , Alfonso Soriano, Michael Young , and Hank Blalock became some of
4628-771: A refocus on the Politico website and newspaper, Allbritton Communications sold their seven station portfolio—including Washington, D.C. 's WJLA-TV —to Sinclair, for $ 985 million, equivalent to $ 1.29 billion in 2023. This deal was complicated by multiple regulatory hurdles and a proposed barring of future joint sales agreements (JSA) by the FCC. Originally planning to divest four Sinclair-owned stations in three markets with Allbritton stations to Deerfield and Armstrong Williams -controlled Howard Stirk Holdings, and continuing to operate them under JSAs, In March 2014, Sinclair announced intentions to divest three stations and one existing LMA to independent third parties. Unable to find
4806-611: A response when LIN Media signed ABC affiliates WDTN and WAND to NBC, Sinclair Broadcast Group converted two of its NBC affiliates WICS / WICD and WKEF to ABC . In July 2009, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission , Sinclair stated that if the company could not refinance its $ 1.33 billion debt, or if Cunningham Broadcasting became insolvent due to nonpayment on a loan worth $ 33.5 million, Sinclair may be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . The company seemingly recovered its financial fortunes enough, and began
4984-485: A result of many injuries throughout the 2024 season, the Rangers finished the season with a 78–84 record, failing to improve on their 90–72 record from 2023 and not making the playoffs. The Rangers became the first team since the 2020 Washington Nationals to win a title and fail to make the playoffs in the very next year. This made the Rangers the 12th team in the past 25 years to win the World Series, then fail to make it to
5162-470: A second TV network, Charge! , a new digital subchannel network focusing on action-adventure based programming. It begin broadcasting on February 28, 2017. Sinclair had two rounds of executive promotions announced in November 2016 and effective January 1, 2017, with chair and CEO David D. Smith moving up to executive chairman while CFO Christopher Ripley becoming president and CEO. In the second round, David Amy
5340-657: A seven-day administrative stay to the UHF discount rulemaking, in order to allow review of an emergency stay motion filed by The Institute for Public Representation (a coalition of public interest groups comprising Free Press , the United Church of Christ , Media Mobilizing Project, the Prometheus Radio Project , the National Hispanic Media Coalition and Common Cause ) on May 15. The coalition argued that
5518-462: A style reminiscent of the Boston Red Sox 's uniforms. Road gray uniforms simply featured "WASHINGTON" in navy block letters with navy numbers. Caps were all-navy with a red block "W" with white trim. In 1963, the uniforms returned to a design similar to the final uniforms worn by the original Senators, with "Senators" in script letters and an underline tail that flowed after the second "s". However,
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5696-429: A team that lacked pitching talent. Club officials maintained that Rodriguez would be the cornerstone of future postseason success. Although Rodriguez's individual performance was outstanding, the Rangers continued to struggle, and manager Jerry Narron was fired following the 2002 season and was replaced by seasoned manager Buck Showalter . The 2003 season signified the Rangers' fourth-straight last-place finish, and after
5874-535: A ten-year lease. For most of their existence, the new Senators epitomized futility, losing an average of 90 games a season. The team's struggles led to a twist on a joke about the old Senators: "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League." Frank Howard , an outfielder / first baseman from 1965 to 1972 known for his towering home runs, was the team's most accomplished player, winning two home run titles. The concurrent rise of
6052-486: A tradition that continued for years. Manager Bobby Valentine became steward over an influx of talent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A winning season in 1986 was a shock to pundits and fans alike as the Rangers remained in the race for the American League pennant for the entire season. With a team consisting of stellar young rookies such as Rubén Sierra , Pete Incaviglia , Mitch Williams , Bobby Witt , and Edwin Correa ,
6230-589: A two-hour evening newscast, airing 10 pm to midnight Eastern Time. Defunct Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The Rangers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division . They are one of two major league clubs based in Texas, alongside
6408-814: A year of delays, the deal was approved by the FCC in July 2014, and completed on August 1. WCIV, WCFT-TV and WJSU-TV were ultimately sold to Howard Stirk Holdings. In September 2013, Sinclair purchased eight stations owned or operated by New Age Media. As part of the deal, three stations— WSWB in Scranton / Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania , WTLH in Tallahassee, Florida , and WNBW-DT in Gainesville, Florida —would be sold by owner MPS Media to Cunningham, with Deerfield purchasing WTLF in Tallahassee. New Age Media and MPS Media terminated
6586-496: Is 4,818–5,302–6 (.476). Since moving to Texas in 1972, the Rangers have an overall win–loss record of 4,078–4,270–5 (.489) through the end of 2024. When the original Washington Senators announced their move to Minnesota to become the Twins in 1961 , Major League Baseball decided to expand a year earlier than planned to stave off the twin threats of competition from the proposed Continental League and loss of its exemption from
6764-574: Is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith . Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland , the company is the second-largest television station operator in the United States by number of stations, after Nexstar Media Group , owning or operating 193 stations across the country in over 100 markets, covering 40% of American households. It
6942-448: Is derived from a historic law enforcement agency . The Rangers have made nine appearances in the MLB postseason, seven following division championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016 and as a wild card team in both 2012 and 2023. Prior to 2010, the Rangers were the only team in MLB to have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs. In 2010, the Rangers advanced past
7120-500: Is due on September 30. On September 28, 2023, the New York Post and Next TV reported that Diamond Sports had reached one-year carriage agreements with DirecTV and Comcast prior to their restructuring deadline. On September 29, Diamond Sports requested a 60-day extension to file their reorganization plan. On October 11, 2023, Major League Baseball filed a notice opposing Diamond Sports' request for an extension. The MLB also asked
7298-460: Is expected to enter into LMA's to operate WPIX and WGN-TV, while selling off KSWB outright. Overlapping stations in Seattle , St. Louis , Salt Lake City , Oklahoma City , Grand Rapids, Michigan , Norfolk, Virginia , and Des Moines, Iowa will be sold off to unaffiliated third parties. On July 16, 2018, FCC chairman Ajit Pai was reported to have "serious concerns" about the transaction and proposed
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7476-447: Is expected to launch nationally in the remainder of the networks' footprint on September 26. On December 4, 2022, Diamond Sports Group's board had voted to block the Sinclair Broadcast Group from operating Diamond and its regional sports networks. An email from Diamond CEO David Preschlack announced on March 20, 2023 that Steve Rosenberg would no longer be the president of Diamond Sports Group; Rosenberg's last day as president of Diamond
7654-479: Is primarily carried on Sinclair stations. ASN was created as part of the company's foray into original, non-news content creation beyond Ring of Honor Wrestling and school sports. Subsequently, on August 21, 2014, the company announced the formation of Sinclair Original Programming, a new division concentrating on entertainment and commercial content. The company also announced plans for a future cable news network. The Original Programming division chief operating officer
7832-486: Is the largest owner of stations affiliated with Fox , NBC , CBS , ABC , MyNetworkTV , and The CW . Sinclair owns four digital multicast networks, Comet , Charge! , The Nest , and TBD , and sports-oriented cable networks, Stadium , Tennis Channel , and Bally Sports Regional Networks . In June 2021, Sinclair became a Fortune 500 company, having reached 2020 annual revenues of US$ 5.9 billion, equivalent to $ 6.8 billion in 2023. A 2019 study in
8010-455: Is totally inaccurate. We are moving forward with this deal and could not be more excited about what it means for our fans and our future." On May 10, 2023, the bankruptcy judge voided the Suns contract with Gray, ruling that the Suns violated Bally Sports Arizona 's contractual right of first refusal. He ordered the parties into arbitration. The Phoenix Mercury's deal was not affected. On July 14, 2023,
8188-753: The American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market". The company has been criticized by journalists and media analysts for requiring its stations to broadcast packaged video segments and its news anchors to read prepared scripts that contain pro-Trump editorial content, including warnings about purported " fake news " in mainstream media, while Trump has tweeted support for watching Sinclair over CNN and NBC. The company's roots date back to
8366-561: The 2011 World Series after beating the Detroit Tigers 15–5 in game six of the ALCS. The series featured Nelson Cruz hitting six home runs, the most home runs by one player in a playoff series in MLB history. In Game 2, Cruz also became the first player in postseason history to win a game with a walk-off grand slam as the Rangers defeated the Tigers 7–3 in 11 innings. However, they proceeded to lose to
8544-509: The 2023 season with a 90-72 record, losing the AL West title to the Houston Astros on a tiebreaker. The Rangers had six players (five starters) named to the All-Star game, a franchise record. Second baseman Marcus Semien was the only player who started in every game the Rangers played in 2023, and he also became the fifth player in MLB history with at least 100 RBI in the leadoff spot and won
8722-835: The ACC on Regional Sports Networks package from Raycom Sports , the Orange Bowl Classic men's college basketball tournament from the Orange Bowl and the MVC Network from the Missouri Valley Conference . Diamond has also missed payments to the Texas Rangers , Cleveland Guardians , Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins of MLB and the Orlando Magic of the NBA. On April 28, 2023,
8900-610: The Buffalo Bills ; however, the project went over budget and the Senators started to look elsewhere while the Bills opened up Rich Stadium instead. Short was especially receptive to an offer brought up by Arlington, Texas , mayor Tom Vandergriff , who had been trying to obtain a major league sports team to play in the Metroplex for over a decade. Years earlier, Charles O. Finley , the owner of
9078-580: The Comeback Player of the Year after winning 25 games, a club record to this day. The team posted winning records again from 1977 to 1979 but fell short of reaching the playoffs. The Rangers came very close to clinching a playoff spot in 1981, but wound up losing the first half of the AL West by one-and-a-half games to Oakland at the time of the players' strike . Texas went on to finish under .500 each season through 1985. The Rangers faced an attendance problem for
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#17328514642379256-531: The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans . Three days later, it was reported that Amazon had withdrawn its plans to invest in the restructured company due to structural changes and a focus on its own national sports portfolio , but that Diamond still had enough investors to submit a "viable" restructuring plan. While the Anaheim Ducks were initially announced by Bally as having renewed its rights under
9434-698: The FanDuel Sports Network app . On November 8, the Reds and Diamond announced a settlement which will officially end their contract. On November 8, 2024, Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves officially objected to Diamond Sports' reorganization plan, saying they had "grave concerns" about the companies' future viability. However, on November 13, 2024, Major League Baseball and the Braves dropped their objection, after Diamond Sports reached amended agreements with
9612-470: The Fox Broadcasting Company at its launch. The Fox affiliation in Pittsburgh went to higher-rated WPGH-TV , which was purchased by Sinclair in 1990. Chesapeake's first foray into local news came in the early 1980s when it launched a newscast on WPTT, a rarity at this time for stations not affiliated with the then-major networks ( ABC , CBS and NBC ). This newscast was called WPTT News . In
9790-657: The Houston Astros of the same league. The team was founded as the Washington Senators in 1961, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C. , after its previous team became the Minnesota Twins . The new Senators relocated to Arlington, Texas after the 1971 season and debuted as the Rangers the following spring. In 2020, the Rangers moved to the new Globe Life Field after having played at Globe Life Park (now Choctaw Stadium ) from 1994 to 2019. The team's name
9968-666: The Kansas City Athletics , sought to relocate his baseball team to Dallas, but the idea was rebuffed and ultimately declined by the other AL team owners (the A's ultimately moved to Oakland, California in 1968 ). Arlington's hole card was Turnpike Stadium , a 10,000-seat park built in 1965 to house the Double-A Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League . However, it had been built to MLB specifications, and only minor excavations would be necessary to expand
10146-405: The Kansas City Royals ) in the AL West , while pitting last place Washington against the AL's five best teams in the AL East . Despite this, the Senators managed a winning season in 1969 (their only winning record in the nation's capital) when Hall of Famer Ted Williams managed the club to an 86–76 finish, good enough for fourth in the AL East. Ownership changed hands several times during
10324-581: The Phoenix Suns of the NBA and Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced they had signed a five-year agreement with Gray Television to replace Bally Sports Arizona as its local television partners. After the announcement, Diamond Sports Group accused the team of breaching its contract and bankruptcy law, stating that the team was making an "improper effort" to "change their broadcasting partner without permitting Diamond to exercise our contractual rights." In response, Suns CEO Josh Bartlestein stated that "Diamond's position
10502-430: The Sherman Antitrust Act . As part of the expansion, the American League added two expansion teams for the 1961 season–the Los Angeles Angels and a new Washington Senators team. The new Senators and Angels began to fill their rosters with American League players in an expansion draft . The team played their inaugural season at old Griffith Stadium , then moved to the new District of Columbia Stadium in 1962 under
10680-401: The St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, after twice being one strike away from the championship in Game 6. The Rangers dominated the American League standings for much of the 2012 season, but floundered in September, culminating in a sweep by the Oakland Athletics in the final series. They did, however, qualify for the first American League wild-card playoff game . In the new Wild Card Game ,
10858-414: The Tampa Bay Rays in the ALWCS in a two-game sweep and the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game sweep in the ALDS to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2011 , in which they beat their division and Lone Star Series rival, and defending World Series champions Astros in seven games to claim their first pennant since 2011 . The Rangers went 13–4 in the postseason, going 2–4 at home and 11–0 on
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#173285146423711036-414: The construction permit – for the estimated US$ 25,964 (equivalent to $ 271,400 in 2023) construction project – . Sinclair's first station, WFMM-FM (now WPOC ), signed on the air in February 1960. In 1967, Smith, as Chesapeake Engineering Placement Service, partly owned by the name-shortened Commercial Radio Inc., applied for and was granted, a construction permit for
11214-402: The 2001 season, star free agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez was signed by the Rangers in the most lucrative deal in baseball history: a 10-year, $ 252 million contract. The move was controversial and is frequently maligned by fans and writers who thought that owner Tom Hicks was placing too much emphasis on one player instead of utilizing team resources to acquire several players, especially for
11392-445: The 2005 season. Jon Daniels was promoted from assistant general manager to replace him. Daniels, at 28 years and one month, became the youngest general manager in major league history. Daniels and the Rangers front office were very active in acquiring new players before and during the 2006 season. New acquisitions included Brad Wilkerson , Adam Eaton , Kevin Millwood , Carlos Lee , and Nelson Cruz . Despite bolstering their roster,
11570-423: The 2007 season, despite playing in a notoriously hitter-friendly park. A number of roster moves before the 2007 trade deadline were the beginnings of a rebuilding project headed by Jon Daniels with a focus on the acquisition and development of young players. In the coming years, more club resources would be dedicated to improving the quality of the farm system and scouting departments, most notably in Latin America and
11748-411: The AL West. Michael Young responded to his move to third base by posting one of his best offensive seasons ever while committing just nine errors and earning a sixth-straight All-Star appearance. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz were also named 2009 AL All-Stars. Following financial problems, including defaulting on a $ 525 million loan, Tom Hicks and Hicks Sports Group reached an agreement to sell
11926-410: The All-Star Game, in which six Rangers were present, came the debut of the claw and antler hand gestures, which gained much popularity, especially after the release of various apparel and souvenir options. Foam claws and helmets with deer antlers became quite commonplace in the ballpark as the Rangers played further into the fall. The Rangers won the AL West on September 25, advancing to the postseason for
12104-400: The American League West with an 84–76 record, behind the eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics . The 1974 Rangers are still the only MLB team to finish above .500 after two consecutive 100-loss seasons. Mike Hargrove was awarded American League Rookie of the Year , Billy Martin was named AL Manager of the Year , Jeff Burroughs won AL MVP , and Ferguson Jenkins was named
12282-456: The Arizona Coyotes. The next day, Scripps Sports announced it had acquired the rights and that games would air on KASW . As a result, with no remaining professional sports rights, Bally Sports Arizona was shut down on October 21, 2023. On October 10, 2023, Diamond announced that it intended to reject its contract with the Orange Bowl for its Orange Bowl Classic men's college basketball tournament. On December 20, 2023, Diamond Sports and
12460-402: The Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, and Detroit Tigers. Diamond Sports will acquire local direct-to-consumer streaming rights for all the teams it renegotiated with. Only the Kansas City Royals have not officially had their contract rejected or renegotiated by Diamond Sports Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair, Inc. , doing business as Sinclair Broadcast Group ,
12638-406: The California Angels. Johnny Oates was hired as the Rangers' manager in 1995. Oates and company helped to bring home the 1996 AL Western Division Championship, the first division championship in franchise history. The first playoff series, 24 years after the franchise came to Texas, saw the Rangers lose to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 1. Oates was named AL Manager of the Year and Juan González
12816-453: The Department of Justice and FCC over regulatory negotiations in order to maintain control of stations that it was advised to divest, as well as violations of the sale agreement requiring divestitures of stations to not result in any threats of regulatory scrutiny. Following the failed acquisition of Tribune Media, Sinclair has mentioned publicly about buying Fox Sports Networks , as well as
12994-643: The Division Series for the first time, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays . The team then won their first American League pennant after beating the New York Yankees in six games; league MVP Josh Hamilton won their first ALCS MVP award for a Ranger player. In their first appearance in a World Series , the Rangers fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games. They repeated as American League champions
13172-492: The El Paso market while KFOX ranked sixth, making it permissible under FCC duopoly regulations. Dielectric Communications, a key supplier of television broadcasting antennas, was purchased from SPX on June 18, 2013. SPX had intended to close down all of Dielectric's operations by the end of July, in turn threatening a FCC-proposed incentive auction and subsequent repacking of television broadcast spectrum . In July 2013, as part of
13350-416: The FCC for WBMA-LD satellite stations WCFT-TV on September 24 and WJSU-TV on September 28. Sinclair continued its push into original programming. Since May 2015, three deals were made to expand American Sports Network beyond college sports. In June, subsidiary Sinclair TV Group, Inc. formed Tornante-Sinclair LLC, a TV production company, with Michael Eisner's Tornante Co. With MGM on October 31, 2015, Comet
13528-560: The FCC. In August 2020, Sinclair reached a $ 25 million settlement agreement for its shareholders related to three lawsuits. Of the $ 25 million, $ 20.5 million will be paid into a settlement fund. In November 2020, Sinclair announced that they would sell KBSI in Cape Girardeau, Missouri , and WDKA in Paducah, Kentucky , to Standard Media for $ 28 million, in a transaction that closed in 2021. In 2021, Sinclair began moving
13706-557: The Far East. Daniels' objective was to field a legitimately competitive team by the 2010 season. The Rangers began the 2008 season exceptionally well, headlined by newcomer Josh Hamilton who looked to be a threat to win the Triple Crown , before fading off as the season wore on. During the All-Star festivities at Yankee Stadium , Hamilton crushed a first-round home run record in the 2008 Home Run Derby with 28. Hamilton hit another four in
13884-550: The NHL and NBA, so rights for the NBA and NHL will no longer expire following the 2023–24 season. On February 2, 2024, Diamond Sports announced agreements with the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball that will result in a decreased rights fee and will end their contracts with Diamond after the 2024 season. Diamond Sports Group officially filed its reorganization plan on March 1, 2024. As part of
14062-405: The National Hockey League reached a similar agreement to the NBA's November 6 deal that will also result in the contracts for all NHL teams airing on Diamond expiring after the 2023–24 NHL season , pending approval by the bankruptcy court. On January 17, 2024, Diamond Sports announced a restructuring agreement after tentatively securing a $ 115 million investment from Amazon , which would result in
14240-574: The Rangers after a falling out with his partners. Following his resignation, Nolan Ryan was named CEO in addition to his continuing role as team president. Ryan was subsequently approved as the team's controlling owner by a unanimous vote of the 30 owners of Major League Baseball on May 12. The Rangers successfully defended their AL West Division title in 2011, making the club's second-straight division title and postseason appearance. The Rangers set records for best win–loss record (96–66, .592) and home attendance (2,946,949). On October 15, they went back to
14418-474: The Rangers finished the season in second place with an 87–75 record, just five games behind the division champion Angels. The season marked a dramatic 25-win improvement over the 1985 season, which resulted in yet another last place finish in the West. The signing of 41-year-old star pitcher Nolan Ryan prior to the 1989 season allowed Ryan to reach his 5,000th strikeout , 300th win , and 6th and 7th no-hitters with
14596-591: The Rangers overtook the Houston Astros to clinch the American League West title on the final day of the season with a record of 88–74. The Rangers went on to lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in five games in the Division Series after squandering a 2–0 series lead. Texas again clinched the AL West in 2016, but lost to Toronto, 3–0, in the ALDS. The Rangers finished the 2017 campaign 23 games out of first place with
14774-413: The Rangers went with a two-button pullover design and changed the road uniform color to powder blue. The home uniform design remained mostly the same save for the blue trim on the player's name. However, the front of the road uniform was changed to "TEXAS" in red letters with white and blue trim, which was also used on the numbers. Player names became dark royal blue. This style was used for one season before
14952-588: The Rangers' 2006 season ended with a disappointing 80–82 record and a third-place finish in the AL West. Buck Showalter was dismissed as manager after the season. The team hired Oakland third base coach Ron Washington as their next manager. A change at manager was the first of several moves to strengthen the team in yet another busy offseason. The team lost Gary Matthews, Jr. , Mark DeRosa , Carlos Lee , and Adam Eaton, but gained Kenny Lofton , Sammy Sosa , Frank Catalanotto , and pitchers Éric Gagné and Brandon McCarthy . The Rangers struggled offensively early in
15130-542: The Rangers' woes continued, as they lost 5–1 to the Orioles. The Rangers figured in the 2013 wild card as well. They finished the season in second place in the American League West with a 91–72 record, tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for a wild card spot. A 163rd play-in tie-breaker game was held to determine the second participant in the 2013 American League Wild Card Game against the Cleveland Indians . The Rangers lost to
15308-447: The Rangers. Despite powerful lineups including Juan González , Rubén Sierra, Julio Franco , and Rafael Palmeiro and a pitching staff that also included Charlie Hough , Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown , and Kenny Rogers , Valentine's Rangers never finished above second place and he was relieved of his duties during the 1992 season. In April 1989, Rangers owner and oil tycoon Eddie Chiles , sold
15486-464: The Rays, 5–2, in the tie-breaker and were eliminated from playoff contention after reaching the postseason in three consecutive seasons. Nolan Ryan stepped down as Rangers CEO effective October 31, 2013. After that, Daniels served as operating head of the franchise, with Davis and Simpson continuing to serve mostly as senior consultants. Injuries took a major toll on the Rangers in 2014. The lone bright spot
15664-427: The Texas Rangers to group headed by Pittsburgh sports lawyer Chuck Greenberg and Rangers team president Nolan Ryan for approximately $ 570 million on January 22, 2010. Hicks also sold much of the land surrounding Rangers Ballpark to Greenberg and Ryan's group in a separate deal. However, one of HSG's principal lenders, Monarch Alternative Capital, opposed the sale on grounds that the proceeds would not fully repay
15842-459: The UHF discount was no longer logical from a technical standpoint (as stations that transmit on the UHF band have typically maintained better digital signal quality than those transmitting on VHF, a reversal of the technical issues with both bands during the analog era) and would trigger a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the broadcast television industry that would further reduce diversity in station ownership. The D.C. Court of Appeals denied
16020-662: The United States in 2000 . During Bush's tenure, the Rangers and the City of Arlington decided to replace the aging Arlington Stadium with a new publicly funded stadium, at a cost of $ 193 million, financed by Arlington residents, through a sales tax increase. Ground was broken on October 30, 1991, on what would become The Ballpark in Arlington (now named Choctaw Stadium ). In 1993, Kevin Kennedy took over managerial duties, presiding over
16198-589: The announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder. The suit was settled in July 2013 and the merger approved shortly thereafter. On June 3, 2013, Titan TV Broadcast Group sold four stations, along with operating agreements for two stations, to Sinclair. Prior to the deal, a seventh station, KDBC-TV in El Paso, Texas , to Cunningham, fueling speculation KDBC-TV would be consolidated with Sinclair-owned KFOX-TV . Sinclair exercised its option to purchase KDBC-TV outright citing KDBC-TV's fourth-place ranking in
16376-539: The bankruptcy court to force Diamond to decide on whether the company would air games from the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Guardians , Detroit Tigers , Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers in 2024 . On October 1, 2023, Diamond Sports missed a payment to the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association. But, on November 6, 2023, Diamond Sports and the National Basketball Association reached
16554-486: The baseball team to abandon the Rangers name. The baseball team responded by committing to keeping the Rangers name. The team subsequently made a statement clarifying that despite sharing the name, they are not affiliated with the law-enforcement agency and they stand for equality by "condemn[ing] racism, bigotry and discrimination in all forms." Prior to the 1972 season , improvements were made to Turnpike Stadium, which reopened as Arlington Stadium , in preparation for
16732-602: The basic service. On October 18, 2024, Diamond announced a new naming agreement with FanDuel , which will saw Bally Sports rebranded as the FanDuel Sports Network on October 21. The naming rights will be paid for via an annual rights fee, and advertising commitments. FanDuel will also have the option to acquire a 5% equity stake in Diamond once it exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy , 30 days after they failed to make
16910-631: The best-hitting infielders in the league, with Young, Blalock, and Soriano being selected for the 2004 All-Star Game . Soriano was named the All-Star MVP after going 2 for 3 with a three-run home run . Despite a late-season push, the Rangers ended up losing six of their final ten games and finished in third place behind the Angels and A's, a mere three games out of first place. In 2005, the Rangers again struggled to find consistency amid controversy and injuries. John Hart stepped down as general manager following
17088-489: The blue trim disappeared and the middle three letters became lowercase in the word "TexaS". Also in 1976, a left sleeve patch was added containing the Texas map and red star on a red, white and blue shield with "RANGERS" in red letters on top. For 1976 only, the patch featured "1776" and "1976" in white in commemoration of the United States Bicentennial . Names would be dropped from the uniform in 1980, but returned
17266-816: The broadcasting assets of Schurz Communications (owner of WSBT), was necessary as Gray already owns WNDU-TV in South Bend. The sale was completed on February 16, 2016. On January 27, 2016, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it would acquire Tennis Channel for $ 350 million. The channel's corporation comes with $ 200 million in net operating losses that SBGI can use to offset future income thus reducing taxes. Sinclair's news operations had launched six drone teams in September 2016. Initial stations getting drone teams were in Washington, Baltimore, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Columbus, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Little Rock, Arkansas. In
17444-461: The case. The sale to Greenberg/Ryan was approved by all 30 MLB owners at the owners meeting in Minneapolis on August 12. The new ownership group was called Rangers Baseball Express, LLC and had Chuck Greenberg serving as managing general partner and Nolan Ryan as club president. Oil magnates Ray Davis and Bob R. Simpson paid the bulk of the $ 539 million sale price, and became co-chairmen, with
17622-477: The closing of its reorganization as a holding company. In May 2023, Sinclair sold its controlling interest in Stadium to Silver Chalice, Sinclair stating that the network did not have enough viewership for Sinclair to continue funding it; Sinclair will continue to supply some programming. On October 10, 2023, Sinclair announced that on October 30, 2023, it will convert Stadium's over-the-air service into The Nest ,
17800-495: The color scheme was reversed on the letters, with red serving as the dominant color. The cap also adopted the "curly W" insignia that was later used by the modern-day Washington Nationals . In 1968, the cap color became all-red with the "curly W" now in white with navy trim. Pinstripes would be removed from the home uniform in 1969. The Rangers debuted in the Dallas Metroplex wearing double-knit polyester buttoned uniforms. Both
17978-511: The company's only foray into local news for years, a genre it became much more involved in from the mid-1990s on. Smith's son David D. Smith began taking a more active role in the company in the 1980s. In 1985, the Chesapeake Television Corporation changed its name to Sinclair Broadcast Group . In 1990, David and his three brothers bought their parents' remaining stock and went on a buying spree that eventually made it one of
18156-410: The company's stations), and resulted in data being taken from its server network. Many of Sinclair's stations saw varying disruptions to programming in the days following the attack; many of its stations were able to produce their newscasts using limited internal resources (while generally being unable to display lower-third and/or full-screen graphics), while a few were forced to preempt them outright for
18334-491: The company's stock, was technically a Sinclair arm that planned to use the LMA with KOKH to gain control of the station and create an illegal duopoly with KOCB . In 2001, the FCC levied a $ 40,000 fine against Sinclair for illegally controlling Glencairn. Sinclair became a publicly listed company in 1995, raising $ 105 million in a June sale of 5 million shares. The Smith family retained a controlling interest. In 1994, Sinclair signed
18512-507: The court to terminate its contract with the Dallas Stars . The Stars did not object to the request, and announced an agreement to launch a new free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform known as Victory+ to carry its games. On August 23, 2024, Diamond Sports announced long-term agreements with nine of its NHL teams and thirteen of its NBA teams, committing to carry at least the teams' 2024–25 seasons, and further seasons pending
18690-450: The deal also includes up to $ 6 million in earnout if certain targets are reached. Sinclair intends to integrate the properties with Tennis Channel. On April 21, 2017, following the reinstatement of the "UHF discount" (a policy that counts television stations broadcasting on UHF channels by 50% of their total audience towards the FCC's 39% market cap), Sinclair announced its intent to purchase Bonten Media Group for $ 240 million. The sale
18868-470: The deal became official when Diamond declined to match Gray's contract offer. On May 31, 2023, Diamond officially missed a second payment to the Padres, and the Padres' television rights were returned to Major League Baseball. Because Bally Sports San Diego , which aired Padres games, is a joint venture between the Padres and Diamond it is technically not in bankruptcy. Therefore this missed payment did not have
19046-640: The deal on October 31, 2014. Sinclair purchased the non-license assets for all eight stations and began operating them through master service agreements the next day. Sinclair signed an agreement in June 2014 to carry the classic film subchannel network GetTV in 33 markets by the end of September. In July of that year, Sinclair announced the launch of the American Sports Network (ASN) service, operating within its Sinclair Networks company. This service, which produces and distributes college sports broadcasts,
19224-601: The deal) was challenged by the Rainbow/PUSH coalition (headed by Jesse Jackson ) to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1998, citing concerns over a single company controlling two broadcast licenses in the same market in violation of FCC rules. The coalition argued that Glencairn passed itself off as a minority-owned company (Edwards is African American ) which, since the Smith family controlled most of
19402-465: The defaulted HSG notes. On April 21, Major League Baseball issued a statement declaring the Rangers' sale to be under the control of the Commissioner to expedite the process. As the stalemate between HSG and its creditors continued, the Texas Rangers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 24. As of that date, the Rangers and HSG had an estimated debt of $ 575 million. Much of the unsecured debt
19580-470: The divestment of their radio portfolio between 1999 and 2000. The deal was initially met with financial scrutiny. The law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock. Shortly after
19758-641: The emergency stay motion on June 15, 2017, though it is still subject to a pending court proceeding to appeal the UHF discount implementation. On February 21, 2018, Sinclair informed the FCC that it planned to sell off Tribune stations in New York City , Chicago , and San Diego , while seeking waivers to purchase the Tribune stations in Indianapolis , South Central Pennsylvania , and the Piedmont Triad . Sinclair
19936-564: The first time since 1999 with a 90–72 record. The Rangers entered the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round, which ultimately resulted in a 3–2 series victory and marked the first postseason series victory in the 50-year history of the Rangers/Washington Senators franchise. Facing the Rangers in the American League Championship Series were the defending World Series champion New York Yankees,
20114-603: The following year, but lost the 2011 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The Rangers made it to the 2023 World Series and won their first-ever championship, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games, with Corey Seager being the first Ranger player to win the World Series Most Valuable Player Award . From 1961 through the end of 2024, the franchise's overall win–loss record
20292-400: The franchise's stay in Washington and was often plagued by poor decision-making and planning. Following their brief success in 1969, owner Bob Short was forced to make many questionable trades to lower the debt he had incurred to pay for the team in late 1968; the purchase price was reported at $ 9.4 million. By the end of the 1970 campaign, Short had issued an ultimatum: unless someone
20470-555: The game to the New York Yankees . The nation's capital went without Major League Baseball for 33 years, until the relocation of the National League 's Montreal Expos , who became the Washington Nationals in 2005 . After moving from Washington, the Senators were renamed after the Texas Rangers , the state-wide investigative law-enforcement agency which was founded by Stephen F. Austin in 1823 when Texas
20648-452: The hands of the Yankees, a team that won three World Series in the 1990s after defeating Rangers teams in the first round. The 1999 team was to be the last playoff-bound team until 2010. En route to a second-straight last-place finish, Oates resigned his position 28 games into the 2001 season. In 1998, venture capital billionaire Tom Hicks bought the team for $ 250 million. Prior to
20826-463: The home opener, there was no evidence of causation occurring as a result of the opening game. After a 60–102 season in 2021, their worst since 1973, the Rangers signed several free agents, including Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager , and they brought back former starting pitcher Martin Perez after three seasons away from the team. However,
21004-431: The home white and road gray uniforms feature "RangerS" in red serif rounded letters with blue drop shadows (with a white star at the bottom of the "R"), and the back of the uniform featured red block letters for the player names and red block numbers with blue trim. Red, white and blue stripes adorn the collar and sleeves. The original cap is blue with a red brim, and has a white "T" trimmed in red emblazoned on it. In 1975,
21182-484: The inaugural season of the Texas Rangers. The team played its first game on April 15, 1972, a 1–0 loss at the hands of the California Angels , their 1961 expansion cousins. The next day, the Rangers defeated the Angels, 5–1, for the club's first victory. In 1974, the Rangers experienced their first winning season after finishing last in both 1972 and 1973. Under the ownership of Brad Corbett , they finished second in
21360-458: The largest stakes in the ownership group. However, they remained mostly in the background as senior consultants, leaving the team mostly in Greenberg and Ryan's hands. With the influx of talent and success in 2009, the Rangers entered the 2010 season expecting to compete for the division and achieve the front office's 2007 goals. During the off-season, Nolan Ryan spoke about the Rangers' chances in
21538-613: The largest station owners in the country, through the purchases of stations and of companies that owned groups of stations. Sinclair pioneered the concept of the local marketing agreement (LMA) in American television in 1991, when it sold WPTT to its general manager Eddie Edwards (founder of Glencairn, Ltd., the Sinclair-affiliated licensee that would eventually become Cunningham Broadcasting ) in order to purchase fellow Pittsburgh station WPGH-TV to comply with FCC ownership rules of
21716-489: The late 1950s, when electrical engineer Julian Sinclair Smith and his wife Carolyn B. Smith, owning 34.5% of the shares, along with a group of shareholders, formed the Commercial Radio Institute , a broadcasting trade school in Baltimore , Maryland. In March 1958, Commercial Radio Institute applied to build an FM radio station in Baltimore. In April 1959, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted
21894-589: The lease for a third, were initially set to be transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting, but were ultimately sold to an affiliate of Northwest Broadcasting owner Brian Brady. Prevailing in a bidding war with LIN Media, Sinclair purchased Fisher Communications in April 2013, for $ 373.3 million, equivalent to $ 488 million in 2023, including 20 television stations in the western United States, operational control of one station, and three radio stations in Seattle . This deal returned Sinclair to radio ownership, since
22072-475: The mid-2010s, Sinclair launched Refined , an online local lifestyle web magazine run in conjunction with local Sinclair stations. The third was announced for DC under WJLA-TV . In December 2016, SBG announced TBD , a new digital subchannel network aimed towards millennials , with a focus on digital content. It began broadcasting on February 13, 2017. At the NATPE conference on January 17, 2017, SBG and MGM announced
22250-536: The nearby Baltimore Orioles to regular championship contenders (winning their first World Series in 1966 ) certainly did not help the Senators draw crowds. Further expansion and re-alignment in 1969 did not do much to help the Senators either, since (unlike the National League ) the AL owners elected to align their new divisions strictly based on geography. This arrangement placed both expansion teams (the Seattle Pilots and
22428-604: The new Globe Life Field on July 24, 2020, a 1–0 win over the Colorado Rockies . They ended the contracted season in fifth place at 22–38. On April 5, 2021, the Texas Rangers hosted the first full-capacity sporting event in the United States since the pandemic began with more than 38,000 fans in attendance. The decision for full capacity stemmed from Texas allowing all businesses to operate at 100% capacity without mask restrictions. The Rangers were criticized by United States health officials and President Joe Biden for hosting
22606-535: The new agreements, on August 27 the team instead announced that it would carry its games on KCOP-TV and Victory+ under a two-year deal. On October 2, 2024, Diamond stated that it plans to renegotiate its contracts with the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays. If the teams are unable to agree to a new contract with Diamond, their contract will be rejected. The Atlanta Braves are
22784-1089: The ninth-largest broadcast group in the United States. At the same time, Sinclair purchased WWHO , a CW affiliate in the Columbus, Ohio , market, from LIN TV . Owing to Sinclair's existing Columbus duopoly of WSYX and WTTE , WWHO was resold to Manhan Media, who entered into a shared services agreement with Sinclair. In May 2012, a groupwide affiliation renewal with Fox reached, included an option for Sinclair to purchase WUTB , Baltimore's MyNetworkTV station, from Fox Television Stations before March 31, 2013. Sinclair purchased WUTB and resold it to Deerfield Media —controlled by Manhan Media owner Stephen P. Mumblow—on November 26, 2012, pairing with WBFF and WNUV. Concurrently, Fox had an option to purchase up to any combination of six different MyNetworkTV and CW stations in four different markets from Sinclair, which it declined. On July 19, 2012, Sinclair acquired six stations from Newport Television , along with existing operational agreements for two other stations, for $ 412.5 million, equivalent to $ 547 million in 2023, as part of
22962-759: The non-broadcast operations would be placed under Sinclair Ventures. Then, the two companies would be placed under a new holding company, "Sinclair, Inc.". In late April 2023, Sinclair announced that starting May 15, it would end all local news broadcasts on stations in five markets: WGFL in Gainesville, Florida ; KPTH in Sioux City, Iowa ; KPTM in Omaha, Nebraska ; WNWO-TV in Toledo, Ohio ; and KTVL in Medford, Oregon . These low-rated newscasts were to be replaced by airings of The National Desk . On June 1, 2023, Sinclair announced
23140-479: The non-license assets of KGBT-TV in Harlingen, Texas , to Nexstar Media Group for $ 60 million, as part of a settlement between the two companies over Sinclair's failed acquisition of Tribune Media , which was ultimately acquired by Nexstar. The transaction was completed on September 17, 2020. On May 7, 2020, the company was fined $ 48 million to settle investigations related to reports and statements made to
23318-681: The number of newscasts in four markets: KAEF-TV in Eureka, California ; WGXA in Macon, Georgia ; WEYI-TV / WSMH in Saginaw / Flint, Michigan ; and WACH in Columbia, South Carolina . The discontinued newscasts were replaced by airings of The National Desk . On April 3, 2023, Sinclair announced that it would be re-organizing its operations, with the TV broadcasting properties remaining under Sinclair Broadcast Group, while
23496-523: The only team not affected by the announcement. On October 8, 2024, after their contracts expired with Diamond, MLB Local Media acquired the rights to the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, and Minnesota Twins. Diamond Sports announced new agreements with Marlins, on October 18, and the Cardinals, on November 7. For the first time, the Cardinals will be available direct-to-consumer locally through
23674-494: The opening segment, the letters "news" were formed from a compass indicating the four cardinal directions . This opening segment, featuring then-anchorman Kevin Evans, appeared briefly, and was audible, in the movie Flashdance during a scene where Jennifer Beals ' character returns home and turns on the television. The presentation was relatively low-budget, with the anchor simply reading copy, with no field video shots other than
23852-510: The owner of WLUK and WCWF and operator of WTGS at that time, as both Media General and LIN owned stations in the three markets, requiring both companies to sell off stations in conflicting markets due to the FCC's recent decision to scrutinize sharing agreements between stations owned by different licensees. The swap was approved by the FCC alongside the Media General-LIN merger on December 12, 2014. On September 3, 2014, Sinclair announced
24030-452: The park to accommodate major league crowds. Vandergriff's offer of a multimillion-dollar down payment prompted Short to make the move to Arlington. On September 21, 1971 , American League owners voted 10–2 to allow the move of the franchise to Arlington for the 1972 season . Senators fans were livid, and enmity came to a head at the club's last game in Washington on Thursday, September 30. Thousands simply walked in without paying after
24208-525: The plan, Diamond will end its naming rights deal with Bally's Corporation and rebrand its networks by the end of the 2024 MLB season . On July 2, 2024, Bally Sports Florida and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League mutually agreed to terminate their broadcasting contract early. That same day, the Panthers announced a new agreement with Scripps Sports . The next day on July 3, Diamond asked
24386-416: The playoffs the following year. Globe Life Field , in Arlington, Texas, began serving as the home of the Texas Rangers in 2020. Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company , a subsidiary of McKinney -based Torchmark Corporation , owns the naming rights for the facility through 2048. The new ballpark is located across the street just south of Choctaw Stadium , the Rangers' previous home. Choctaw Stadium
24564-637: The primary programming from so-called "sidecar" stations with which Sinclair has an LMA, to subchannels of stations Sinclair owns outright, replacing the sidecar stations' programming with subchannel network (also known as diginet ) affiliations on their main signals. On January 1, Fox moved from KFXA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to KGAN , where its "Fox 28" branding was retained. With a transitional simulcast period from January 1 to February 4, Fox moved from WRGT-TV in Dayton, Ohio to WKEF , where its "Fox 45" branding
24742-571: The purchase of Las Vegas NBC affiliate KSNV-DT from Intermountain West Communications Company for $ 120 million. As Sinclair already owns a duopoly in Las Vegas ( KVMY and KVCW ), the company will sell the license assets (though not the programming) of one of the three stations to comply with FCC ownership restrictions, with the divested station's programming being relocated to the other stations. The purchase of KSNV's non-license assets
24920-408: The resolution of its bankruptcy; if Diamond Sports is unable to get a bankruptcy plan approved by the court, the NBA and NHL agreements will expire following the end of each league's 2024–25 season. The agreement will result in NHL teams having a 20 percent reduction in their rights fees and NBA teams having a 30 to 40 present reduction in their rights fees. In addition, Bally rejected its contracts with
25098-565: The rights to the Arizona Diamondbacks , Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Guardians , Milwaukee Brewers , Minnesota Twins , San Diego Padres , and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Anaheim Ducks , Arizona Coyotes , Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Dallas Mavericks , Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA),
25276-490: The road, the most road wins in a postseason in MLB history. The postseason was marked by performances by All-Star players Corey Seager and Adolis García , with the former winning World Series MVP and the latter winning ALCS MVP . On November 1, 2023, the Rangers won the World Series after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games, achieving their first World Series championship in franchise history. As
25454-455: The same bankruptcy protections that Diamond's other missed payments had. Padres games will be available blackout free on MLB.tv , as well as through channels on select cable providers, including YurView California , in the San Diego area. MLB Network will produce the games with the Padres' regular commentators. On June 14, 2023, Diamond rejected its contract with Raycom Sports to distribute
25632-550: The season second in the AL West, the club's best finish since 1999. The 2009 season saw the Rangers soar into playoff contention for the first time since 2004. Despite injuries to Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler , the Rangers held first place in their division for long stretches of the summer before fading after September 1, losing the division to the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers finished the season at 87–75, their first winning season since 2004 and good enough for second place in
25810-564: The second round and three during the final round, for a total of 35 home runs, but lost to the Twins' Justin Morneau . Four Rangers played in the All Star Game: Hamilton, Ian Kinsler , Milton Bradley , and Michael Young, who would repeat his 2006 All-Star Game feat by driving in the winning run via a sac fly. The Rangers finished the season with yet another sub-.500 record (79–83), yet ended
25988-420: The security guards left early, swelling the paid attendance of 14,460 to around 25,000, while fans unfurled a "SHORT STINKS" banner. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning and the Senators leading 7–5, several hundred youths stormed the field, raiding it for souvenirs. One man grabbed first base and ran off with it. With no security in sight and only three bases, umpire crew chief Jim Honochick forfeited
26166-586: The station's license. In February 2013, Cox Media Group sold five television stations, their smallest by media market rankings, to Sinclair, with Deerfield Media assuming ownership of Cox-operated KAME-TV in Reno. Sinclair purchased Schaumburg, Illinois –based Barrington Broadcasting on February 28, 2013, including six other stations operated by Barrington. The former Cox and Barrington stations are operated through subsidiary Chesapeake Television, focusing on smaller markets and with management separate from Sinclair proper. Two Barrington stations, along with
26344-444: The stations owned by Cox Media Group . In January 2019, Sinclair launched an OTT multi-channel streaming service Stirr providing free streaming access to local Sinclair station content as well as on-demand shows and films. On February 13, 2019, Sinclair and the Chicago Cubs announced a new regional sports network, Marquee Sports Network , to start in 2020 with exclusive rights to Cubs' games. On March 9, 2019, Sinclair purchased
26522-467: The team finished 68–94, good enough for fourth place in the AL West; they were also a franchise- and league-worst 15–35 in one-run games. The Rangers fired Chris Woodward on August 15, 2022, with Tony Beasley taking his place as interim manager for the rest of the year. Two days after Woodward's firing, the Rangers fired President of Baseball Operations (and former Rangers general manager) Jon Daniels, after six consecutive losing seasons. Chris Young, who
26700-436: The team for two seasons, keeping the 1993 Rangers in the hunt for a playoff berth into mid-September; Nolan Ryan also retired after that season. Kennedy was let go in 1994, although the team led the AL West prior to the players' strike which prompted commissioner Bud Selig to cancel the remainder of the season and the playoffs. On July 28, Kenny Rogers pitched the 12th perfect game in major league history in Arlington against
26878-527: The team the Rangers failed against three separate times in the 1990s. In a six-game ALCS, Texas came out victorious, winning the first pennant in franchise history in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Josh Hamilton was awarded ALCS MVP . The Rangers faced the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series , but their offense struggled against the Giants' young pitching and eventually lost the Series, 4–1. In March 2011, Chuck Greenberg resigned as Chief Executive and Managing General Partner and sold his interest in
27056-444: The team to an investment group headed by George W. Bush for $ 89 million. While his own equity in the team was a small one ($ 500,000), Bush was named Managing General Partner of the new ownership group. He increased his investment to $ 600,000 the following year. Bush left his position with the Rangers when he was elected Governor of Texas in 1994, and he sold his stake in the team in 1998. Bush went on to be elected President of
27234-441: The team's manager beginning with the 2019 season. He led the team to a 78–84 record in his first season. The 2019 season also marked the Rangers' final season of play at Globe Life Park. On September 29, 2019, the Rangers played their final game at Globe Life Park, a 6–1 win over the New York Yankees . Following a delayed start to the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Rangers played their first regular season game at
27412-454: The time that prohibited duopolies , while agreeing to allow Sinclair to retain operational responsibilities for the station. However, while LMAs would become an integral part of the company's business model in subsequent years, Sinclair's plans to acquire KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City through Glencairn, which would subsequently attempt to sell five of its 11 existing LMA-operated stations to Sinclair outright in turn (with Sinclair stock included in
27590-464: The transfer in August 2019 for $ 9.6 billion. The company's regional sports networks have exclusive broadcasting rights to 42 professional teams (including 16 National Basketball Association teams, 14 Major League Baseball teams, and 12 National Hockey League teams), and the channels collectively generated $ 3.8 billion in 2018, across nearly 75 million subscribers. Sinclair took a $ 4.23 billion write-down of its regional sports assets in 2020 after
27768-528: The upcoming season saying, "My expectations today are that we're going to be extremely competitive and if we don't win our division, I'll be disappointed." After stumbling out of the gates with a sub-.500 start in April 2010, the Rangers took the division lead with a franchise-best month of June, going 21–6. The Rangers never relinquished first place after an 11-game winning streak. The team made several mid-season moves to acquire players such as Cliff Lee , Bengie Molina , Jorge Cantú , and Jeff Francoeur . After
27946-420: The weather read over a stock video shot denoting the conditions outside. It was not a factor in taking ratings away from then-market laggard WIIC-TV, now WPXI , much less solid runner-up WTAE-TV and then-locally owned Group W powerhouse KDKA-TV . As WBFF did not air newscasts until 1991 and WTTE would not air any newscasts from its 1984 sign-on until Sinclair purchased ABC affiliate WSYX in 1996, this marked
28124-440: Was Adrián Beltré , who despite spending some time injured, was the most consistent offensive player on the team. On September 4, 2014, the Rangers became the first MLB team officially eliminated from 2014 postseason contention when a 10–2 loss at home to the Seattle Mariners dropped their record to 53–87. The following day, manager Ron Washington resigned, citing personal issues. With the acquisition of Cole Hamels in 2015,
28302-425: Was March 19. With his departure, Diamond's chief financial officer David DeVoe will take on the role of COO. On May 1, 2024, cable companies Xfinity and Midco dropped the Bally Sports networks as part of a carriage dispute . Optimum did the same on July 1, 2024. On July 29, 2024, Comcast reached a new carriage agreement with Xfinity. The agreement moved Bally Sports to the Xfinity "Ultimate TV" tier instead of
28480-404: Was also linked to a similar cyberattack that hit Olympus Corporation 's corporate server network on October 10) within Sinclair's servers. On March 3, 2022, Sinclair announced that they would sell the Ring of Honor wrestling promotion to Tony Khan , who is the principal owner of rival All Elite Wrestling . In March 2023, it was reported that Sinclair had laid off news employees and reduced
28658-424: Was announced as Arthur Hasson, general manager of Sinclair stations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . On August 20, 2014, Sinclair announced that it would swap WTTA in Tampa and KXRM-TV and KXTU-LD in Colorado Springs to Media General in exchange for WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island , WLUK-TV and WCWF in Green Bay and WTGS in Savannah, Georgia . The deal was part of Media General's merger with LIN Media,
28836-574: Was announced that Sinclair is a Fortune 500 company, with annual revenues of $ 5.9 billion in 2020, placing it at 465 on the annual listing of the largest U.S. companies. The company has 10,000 employees as of 2021, and acquired an additional 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m ) office building near its main Hunt Valley headquarters to accommodate an additional 260 employees. On April 1, 2021, Sinclair anchorman Reed Cowan said that if WE Charity did not pay him $ 20 million, he would use Sinclair Broadcast Group's television platforms to disparage
29014-454: Was approved on June 30, and the sale was completed September 1. On May 8, 2017, Sinclair announced its intent to acquire the Chicago-based Tribune Media for $ 3.9 billion. The sale would have given Sinclair ownership of additional stations within the top-10 markets, along with ownership of a stake in Food Network , WGN America , and other additional assets, To comply with Department of Justice antitrust and FCC ownership regulations, it
29192-400: Was completed on November 1, 2014. On September 11, 2014, the license assets of WCIV were sold to Howard Stirk Holdings (pending FCC approval) and aside from sharing studio space with WMMP (which will retain the ABC affiliation and current programming of WCIV), will have no operational control from Sinclair, saving the station from being forfeited back to the FCC. Similar sales were filed with
29370-430: Was launched as a sci-fi broadcast subchannel network. On October 12, Sinclair Original Programming and the programming department was merged into Sinclair Programming and moved into Sinclair Television Group. On October 1, 2015, Gray Television announced that it would acquire WLUC-TV from Sinclair; in return, Sinclair would receive WSBT-TV in South Bend, Indiana , from Gray. The swap, part of Gray's acquisition of
29548-680: Was moved to TBD in 2018, and was eventually discontinued 8 months later. In June 2020, Sinclair announced it would launch "a headline news service" that would air weekday mornings (6:00 AM – 9:00 AM local time) and rely on news-gathering services of Sinclair's stations as well as original content, similar in format to NewsNation produced by Nexstar Media Group for WGN America . The show, titled The National Desk , launched on January 18, 2021, and airs on Sinclair's CW and MyNetworkTV -affiliated stations along with its Fox -affiliated stations that do not have their own local morning news shows. On September 27, 2021, The National Desk expanded to
29726-406: Was named AL MVP. The team featured a powerful lineup of hitters including González, Iván Rodríguez , and Rusty Greer , but continued to struggle with pitching despite having Rick Helling and Aaron Sele on their roster. Oates led the team to consecutive AL West championships in 1998 and 1999. Neither of Oates' last two playoff teams could win a single game, losing all six in back-to-back sweeps at
29904-420: Was named general manager in 2020 to take over the role from Daniels, was named the new club president. On October 21, 2022, the Rangers hired three-time World Series winning manager Bruce Bochy . During the offseason, the Rangers signed longtime New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $ 185 million contract, and starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney . The Rangers finished
30082-489: Was officially rejected on July 18. As for the Padres, Major League Baseball took over production. On July 21, 2023, Diamond sued the Sinclair Broadcast Group, their parent, over transactions made when Sinclair had control over the company. Diamond alleged that Sinclair made transactions that were designed to benefit itself while hurting its subsidiary. On August 11, 2023, the bankruptcy judged granted an 80 day extension to Diamond Sports to file their reorganization plan. The plan
30260-405: Was owed in back salary. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez topped the list of unsecured creditors with an estimated $ 24.9 million owed by the Rangers. The sale would repay all the team's creditors, including Rodriguez and other players owed back salary. Following a court-ordered public auction to be held on August 4 with the winning bid submitted by Greenberg/Ryan, the bankruptcy court closed
30438-432: Was part of Mexico, and whose mythology led to fictional characters such as The Lone Ranger and Walker, Texas Ranger . But the Rangers also had bouts as vigilante squads, when they abused their authority, including by lynching Hispanics . In the wake of 2020's Black Lives Matter protests, prominent mainstream voices have shined a light on the historical racism associated with the law-enforcement agency and called for
30616-411: Was previously named The Ballpark in Arlington, the original name of the facility which opened in 1994. Naming rights were sold to Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company in 2014 who changed the ballpark name to Globe Life Park in Arlington. As the second iteration of the Washington Senators, the team's first home uniforms featured navy pinstripes and navy-trimmed red letters. "SENATORS" was written in
30794-408: Was promoted from chief operating officer to vice chairman with responsibility for corporate marketing, human resources and the networks group, while Steven Pruett move from co-COO of Sinclair Television Group to executive vice president and chief TV development officer. On March 1, 2017, Sinclair bought Tennis Media Company for $ 8 million, which includes the Tennis.com website and Tennis magazine;
30972-466: Was purchased for $ 200 million, equivalent to $ 271 million in 2023. Sinclair assumed managerial control of the stations from Nexstar Broadcasting Group . Four Points owner Cerberus Capital Management paid Nexstar cash compensation for the prematurely terminated time brokerage agreements. In November 2011, Sinclair purchased Freedom Communications ' television stations for $ 385 million, equivalent to $ 521 million in 2023, making Sinclair
31150-437: Was retained. On February 1, Fox moved from WVAH-TV in Charleston, West Virginia to WCHS-TV , where its "Fox 11" branding was retained. While in at least one case (Columbus) the move was done due to the transition to ATSC 3.0 , there are no explanations for the other stations. In March 2021 Sinclair laid off 550 employees, which represented about 5% of its workforce, citing the COVID-19 pandemic . On June 2, 2021, it
31328-537: Was retained; although beginning on February 4, WRGT-TV maintained a primary affiliation with non-diginet MyNetworkTV, on April 19, that affiliation also moved to WKEF. With a transitional simulcast period from January 1 to February 1, Fox moved from KBTV-TV in Port Arthur, Texas to KFDM in nearby Beaumont, Texas , where its "Fox 4" branding was retained. With a transitional simulcast period from January 7 to February 3, Fox moved from original Sinclair signee WTTE in Columbus, Ohio to WSYX , where its "Fox 28" branding
31506-443: Was suggested that Sinclair would have to divest stations in multiple markets. The concerns about Sinclair potentially creating an oligarchy in the broadcast television industry – alongside Nexstar Media Group, which has a station portfolio of similar size – led public interest groups to attempt to block the purchase by preventing the UHF discount from being reinstated. On June 1, 2017, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued
31684-451: Was willing to buy the Senators for $ 12 million (by comparison, the New York Yankees were sold in 1973 for $ 8.8 million), he would not renew the stadium lease and would move the team elsewhere. At first, it looked like a move to Buffalo, New York , was in the works as at the time, a proposed multi-use stadium was in the cards in either downtown Buffalo where the current KeyBank Center is, or in suburban Lancaster to share with
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