Bally Sports San Diego

Bally Sports San Diego

Company type	Regional sports network
Industry	Sports television
Predecessor	4SD (Cox Communications channel)
Founded	March 17, 2012 (2012-03-17)
Defunct	April 2024 (2024-04)
Fate	Dissolved
Headquarters	San Diego , United States
Area served	San Diego County, Imperial County, Palm Springs area, Las Vegas Valley, Southern Arizona, Hawaii; nationwide via DirecTV
Owner	Diamond Sports Group (a partnership between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios)

Bally Sports San Diego was a regional sports television network in the United States, owned by Diamond Sports Group, a partnership between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios. It served as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The San Diego Padres held a 20% equity interest in the channel until their exit from the network in 2023. The channel debuted on March 17, 2012, and was ultimately dissolved in April 2024.

The network specialized in delivering local sports content tailored to the San Diego area and was accessible through cable providers throughout San Diego County, Imperial County, the Palm Springs area, Las Vegas Valley, Southern Arizona, and Hawaii. Additionally, it was available nationwide via satellite on DirecTV. Within San Diego, cable operators such as Cox Communications and Spectrum provided a Spanish-language audio option for Padres games via a secondary audio program linked to the team’s Spanish radio broadcasts.

History

The creation of the network followed Fox Sports Networks securing a 20-year regional cable rights contract for San Diego Padres broadcasts, replacing Cox Communications' channel 4SD. Henry S. Ford, who previously held executive roles at Fox’s regional sports networks in Detroit and Ohio, was named president and general manager of Fox Sports San Diego.

Fox Sports San Diego officially commenced operations on March 17, 2012, featuring a Padres spring training matchup against the Kansas City Royals. In its early phase, the network functioned with limited infrastructure; game coverage and pre/post-game programming were produced using a high-definition production truck inherited from 4SD, stationed at a semi-permanent setup at Petco Park. Editing responsibilities were handled remotely from Los Angeles, while master control operations shared facilities near Houston alongside other Fox regional sports networks.

On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced its intention to acquire all 22 regional Fox Sports networks owned by 21st Century Fox, including an 80% ownership share in Fox Sports San Diego. Nevertheless, the acquisition was subject to divestiture requirements imposed by the United States Department of Justice due to Disney’s ownership of ESPN. On May 3, 2019, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios completed the purchase of the Fox Sports Networks through their joint venture Diamond Holdings for $10.6 billion. The transaction was finalized on August 22, 2019.

On November 17, 2020, Sinclair entered into a partnership with casino operator Bally's Corporation for naming rights across its FSN channels. The rebranding to Bally Sports San Diego was implemented on March 31, 2021, aligning with the start of the MLB season and coinciding with similar renamings of 18 other regional sports networks under the Bally Sports brand.

Bankruptcy

On February 15, 2023, Diamond Sports Group—the proprietor of Bally Sports San Diego—failed to make a $140 million interest payment and consequently entered a 30-day grace period. Subsequently, on March 14, 2023, Diamond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

After filing for bankruptcy, Diamond missed a scheduled payment to the Padres in mid-March but managed to fulfill it by March 29. However, in mid-May, the company again missed a payment and allowed the grace period to lapse on May 30 without funding Bally Sports San Diego’s obligation for the Padres’ rights fees. Since Bally Sports San Diego operated as a joint venture between Diamond and the Padres and was not itself under bankruptcy protection, this missed payment fell outside typical bankruptcy safeguards.

As a result, the Padres game aired on May 30 became the final broadcast on Bally Sports San Diego. This marked the first occasion post-bankruptcy where local MLB rights reverted from Diamond back to Major League Baseball and the team. MLB took over production of Padres telecasts and distributed games through select cable outlets including YurView California as well as MLB.TV within Bally Sports San Diego’s former market.

Following a settlement reached with the Padres, the network was officially wound down in April 2024.

Professional

This channel features broadcasts of professional sports franchises from the Los Angeles-Orange County area, including NBA games of the Los Angeles Clippers and NHL contests involving the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. These games are simulcast from affiliate networks Bally Sports SoCal and Bally Sports West, though they are subject to blackout restrictions in Imperial County. Previously, Bally Sports Arizona provided Arizona Coyotes games to viewers in Imperial County. Until its closure in 2014, the network also simulcasted MLS matches featuring Chivas USA from Prime Ticket during the 2012 season. Furthermore, it has aired AHL games of the San Diego Gulls.

Liga MX

In May 2018, Fox Sports acquired the English-language broadcast rights for home fixtures of Liga MX teams C.F. Monterrey and Club Tijuana, the latter boasting a significant fan following in San Diego. The initial match under this agreement was broadcast on July 21, 2018, simultaneously aired nationwide on FS1 and other Fox Sports regional channels. At present, Bally Sports San Diego does not carry Liga MX game coverage.

San Diego Padres

The network's inception was tied to a two-decade broadcast agreement with the Padres, with Fox Sports committing $28 million during the first year and escalating payments potentially reaching $75 million by the contract's conclusion. The Padres maintained their own dedicated radio and television play-by-play announcers, such as Don Orsillo and Mark Grant, who continued their roles at launch. Tony Gwynn Jr. also joined after transitioning from Bally Sports following their Padres contract expiration.

Current

• Andy Ashby – Guest analyst on Padres Live
• Steve Finley – Guest analyst on Padres Live
• Nick Hardwick – Host on Fox Sports Radio affiliate KLSD (1360 AM)
• Steve Hartman – Host on Fox Sports Radio affiliate KLSD (1360 AM)
• Annie Heilbrunn – Former backup sideline reporter for the Padres; previous host of Padres Weekly and Padres Social Hour
• Clay Hensley – Guest analyst on Padres Live
• Trevor Hoffman – Guest analyst on Padres Live
• Mark Loretta – Guest analyst on Padres Live
• Judson Richards – Host on Fox Sports Radio affiliate KLSD (1360 AM)

Former

• Jesse Agler – Former backup Padres play-by-play announcer; currently serves as Padres play-by-play announcer for 97.3 The Fan; previously hosted Padres Social Hour (2014–2015)
• Julie Alexandria – Padres sideline reporter in 2016
• Kris Budden – Padres sideline reporter (2014–2015); now employed by ESPN
• Kelly Crull – Host of Padres Weekly and backup sideline reporter in 2013; currently an anchor/reporter for Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast
• Dick Enberg – Play-by-play announcer for Padres and host of Cup of Coffee (2012–2016; deceased)
• Mark Grant – Color commentator for the Padres
• Tony Gwynn – Color commentator for the Padres (2012–2013; deceased)
• Tony Gwynn Jr. – Guest analyst on Padres Live and host of Padres POV
• Mike Janela – Host of Padres Social Hour in 2016
• Lisa Lane – Host of Padres POV and backup sideline reporter in 2018
• Michelle Margaux – Hosted Padres POV and served as backup sideline reporter (2016–2017); later covered Tampa Bay Rays for Fox Sports Sun; currently Houston Astros reporter for Space City Home Network
• Andy Masur – Backup play-by-play announcer in 2012; now radio host at WGN Chicago
• Britt McHenry – Padres sideline reporter in 2012; last affiliated with ESPN
• Laura McKeeman – Sideline reporter for Padres, backup host for Padres Live, and co-host of #SDLive in 2013; currently an ESPN host/reporter
• Megan Olivi – Host of Padres POV and social media correspondent in 2013; now works as correspondent/reporter for ESPN and UFC
• Don Orsillo – Play-by-play announcer for the Padres
• Kate Osborne – Host of Padres POV and backup sideline reporter in 2014
• Leila Rahimi – Sideline reporter for the Padres in 2012; later joined NBC Sports Chicago; currently sports anchor at WMAQ-TV Chicago
• Bob Scanlan – Sideline reporter for the Padres
• Ally Sturm – Host of Padres POV and backup sideline reporter in 2015
• Mark Sweeney – Former analyst on Padres Live and backup color commentator
• Mike Pomeranz – Former host of Inside San Diego Sports and Padres Live
• Annie Heilbrunn – Previously served as backup sideline reporter; former host of Padres Weekly (2012) and backup host for Padres Social Hour (2014–2015)

Availability

Since its inception, the channel has been available through Cox Communications and DirecTV. Initially, DirecTV provided Fox Sports San Diego on a part-time basis exclusively for live game broadcasts, before expanding to a continuous 24-hour feed starting April 1, 2013. In September 2012, just as the Padres’ regular season was concluding, AT&T U-verse secured a carriage agreement. Dish Network followed by adding the channel on April 1, 2013.

Among prominent San Diego cable providers, Time Warner Cable (currently Spectrum), which covers approximately 22% of the local market, was initially reluctant to carry the channel. Although TWC had broadcast 4SD during the Padres’ time there, it did not include Fox Sports San Diego until March 30, 2014. This change occurred after the San Diego City Council passed a symbolic resolution encouraging an agreement due to the team’s significance to the community.

In 2015, Frontier FiOS began offering Fox Sports San Diego service in the Coachella Valley region for that season. Since its launch in 2012, the only providers that have not carried Bally Sports San Diego are CenturyLink Prism TV in the Las Vegas Valley and Hawaiian Telcom in Hawaii.