Riaan 
Ukubheja okukhulu kweSinclair Broadcast Group kwezemidlalo yesifunda kudlulele eNkantolo Yokuqothuka ngoLwesibili njengeyunithi yenkampani esakaza imidlalo yasendaweni efakwe ukuze kuvikelwe Isahluko 11.
Le nkampani ifuna ukuhlela kabusha isikweletu esingaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingu-8 zamarandi eyasithola ekuthengeni kwayo iziteshi zamakhebula zesifunda ngo-2019.
I-Diamond Sports Group yakwaSinclair ithe izoqhubeka nokuhlela amanethiwekhi, abizwa nge-Bally Sports, ngemidlalo ebukhoma ngesikhathi sokuqothuka.
I-Diamond Sports isakaza imidlalo yethelevishini yamaqembu angaphezu kwama-40, okuhlanganisa i-Major League Baseball, i-National Basketball Assn. kanye nama-franchise weNational Hockey League. Isebenzisa iziteshi eziyi-19, okuhlanganisa ezimbili eLos Angeles, ezisakaza imidlalo ye-Clippers, Angels, Kings kanye namaDucks.
Ukufakwa kwesicelo sokuqothuka bekulindelekile.
I-Diamond Sports esitatimendeni ithe “iphothula isivumelwano sokweseka kabusha” nalabo abanezikweletu kanye nenkampani engabazali, iSinclair, “ukuze kuqedwe isikweletu esisele senkampani esingaphezu kuka-$8 billion.”
Le nkampani ithe ifake isicelo sokuvikelwa kokuqothuka kweSahluko 11 esifundeni esiseNingizimu yeTexas ukuze kube lula ukuhlela kabusha.
Abeluleki kanye nebhodi labaphathi beDiamond Sports bebelokhu “behlola amathuba abalulekile … ngokubambisana nabakweletwayo ukuze babeke inkampani impumelelo yesikhathi eside,” kusho i-Diamond Chief Executive uDavid Preschlack esitatimendeni.
I-Diamond Sports ibhekene nengwadla yezikweletu kusukela ekutholeni iziteshi cishe amabhiliyoni ayi-10 ngo-2019 kusuka ku-Walt Disney Co. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa zokuvalwa kwaleso sivumelwano, kwamenyezelwa ubhubhane lwe-COVID-19 emhlabeni wonke futhi ukwesaba ukusabalalisa izifo kwabangela ukunqamuka kwezinyanga eziningi kwezemidlalo yobungcweti, okuhlanganisa nemidlalo ye-Major League baseball.
Le nkampani nayo ibilokhu ithuka izanya ngenxa yokusheshisa ukusika izintambo, osekucekele phansi imali ebilindelekile. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, amaqembu ezemidlalo akhokhelwayo afune ukuthi abahleli bezinhlelo ze-TV bakhokhe imali ethe xaxa ukuze bathole amalungelo okusakaza imidlalo yabo kuthelevishini.
Kwesinye isigameko kubanikazi beziteshi zamakhebula bendabuko, izinkampani zobuchwepheshe ezinamaphakethe ajulile zigxumele emakethe. I-Apple TV+ ibambe amalungelo emidlalweni ye-Major League Soccer kanye I-Amazon Prime Video manje iphethe i-NFL’s “Thursday Night Football”.
Iziteshi zezemidlalo zamakhebula zazivame ukuba phakathi kweziteshi ezinenzuzo kakhulu. Kodwa muva nje, ibhizinisi lokusakaza imidlalo yasekhaya libe ngaphansi kwengcindezi, ikakhulukazi ngaphandle kwezimakethe ezinkulu zezindaba zezwe.
I-Warner Bros. Discovery, eyathola amanethiwekhi ezemidlalo e-AT&T ngonyaka odlule, kubikwa ukuthi itshele amaqembu ukuthi nayo ifuna ukuphuma ebhizinisini. Lezo ziteshi zihlanganisa amaqembu azinze e-Denver, e-Salt Lake City, e-Houston nase-Pittsburgh.
Emakethe ebhekwe ngabomvu, iDiamond Sports ibhekene nomnqamulajuqu kuleli sonto wokuthi izoqhubeka yini nokukhokha imali ku-Arizona Diamondbacks.
I-Diamond Sports ngoFebhuwari yamemezela ukuthi ngeke yenze u-$140 million wezinkokhelo ezikweletwa ababolekisi bayo. Abahlaziyi bezemidlalo nabo bebebuka isimo eSan Diego, lapho i-Diamond isakaza imidlalo yethelevishini yamaPadres ayanda ukuduma.
UKhomishana we-MLB uRob Manfred uthe iligi izoqinisekisa ukuthi abalandeli be-baseball bayakwazi ukubukela amaqembu abo asendaweni edlala.
Phakathi nengqungquthela yezindaba yangoFebhuwari, UManfred uthe uma uDiamond engazikhokhi izibopho zakhe emaqenjini e-MLB, amaqembu anganqamula izinkontileka zawo neDiamond Sports.
Uma kwenzeka i-MLB ingenelela, esizokwenza wukuthi sizoyikhiqiza imidlalo,” kusho uManfred ngaleso sikhathi.
I-MLB, esitatimendeni sangoLwesibili ebusuku, ithe ibisenza amalungiselelo ilindele ukufakwa kwesicelo sokuqolwa kukaDayimane.
“I-Major League Baseball isilungele ukukhiqiza nokusabalalisa imidlalo kubalandeli ezimakethe zendawo uma kwenzeka i-Diamond nanoma iyiphi enye inethiwekhi yezemidlalo yesifunda ingakwazi ukwenza lokho njengoba kudingwa isivumelwano sabo namakilabhu ethu,” kusho isitatimende sophiko. “Sinolwazi namandla okuletha imidlalo kubalandeli ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka.”
Uphiko luqashe “ochwepheshe bemithombo yezindaba bendawo ukuthi baqinise amakhono ethu silindele le ntuthuko,” kusho isitatimende.
Iziteshi zeBally phambilini zaziwa ngokuthi amanethiwekhi ezemidlalo esifunda seFox. U-Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox wahlukana nabo ngesikhathi sokuthengiswa kwezimpahla zokuzijabulisa zamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-71 kwaDisney. Abalawuli be-Antitrust baphoqe i-Disney ukuthi ithengise iziteshi, besaba ukuthi inkampani yaseBurbank, ephethe i-ESPN, izoba namandla kakhulu emakethe yezemidlalo ye-TV.
Lapho abakwaDisney beqala ukuvuma ukuthenga izimpahla zeFox, abanye abahlaziyi balinganisela inani lephothifoliyo yenethiwekhi yezemidlalo yesifunda yeFox cishe cishe ku-$20 billion. USinclair wangena ekubhideni ngo-2019 futhi wagcina evumile ukukhokha cishe ingxenye yaleyo mali.
Akukacaci ukuthi inqubo yokuqolwa kwemali izothatha isikhathi esingakanani nokuthi ubani ongagcina ethenge iziteshi.
“I-Diamond ihlose ukusebenzisa lolu hlelo ukuze ihlele kabusha futhi iqinise ibhalansi yayo, ngenkathi iqhubeka nokusakaza imidlalo esezingeni eliphezulu kubalandeli ezweni lonke,” kusho inkampani esitatimendeni, iphawula ukuthi i-Diamond “ixhaswe kahle ngemali elinganiselwa ku-$425 million. ikhona ukuze ixhase ibhizinisi layo kanye nokuhlelwa kabusha.”
I-Sinclair izoqhubeka nokuhlinzeka ngezinsizakalo zokuphatha kuyo yonke inqubo yokuqothuka.
“I-DSG izoqhubeka nokusakaza imidlalo futhi ixhumanise abalandeli ezweni lonke nezemidlalo namaqembu abawathandayo,” kusho uPreschlack. “Ngokwesekwa ngabakweletwayo, silindele ukuhlela kabusha ngokushesha nangempumelelo futhi siphume ohlelweni lokuhlela kabusha njengenkampani enamandla.”
Umbhali wezisebenzi ze-Times uBill Shaikin ufake isandla kulo mbiko.
