A bankruptcy judge must approve Amazon’s minority share in Diamond Sports Group, but if it happens, the door could be open to Thunder games on Amazon Prime.

Thunder fans may soon have another way to watch games.

Amazon has agreed to purchase a minority stake in Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports regional sports networks. The agreement would be part of Diamond Sports’ ongoing bankruptcy proceedings and must be approved by a judge. But if the deal goes through, Thunder games broadcast now on Bally Sports could be available eventually on Amazon Prime.

It is believed no broadcasts this season would be affected by the change.

A move to Amazon Prime would likely be welcome news to Thunder fans; Bally Sports has been plagued by issues for several years. First, the number of platforms fell dramatically as Diamond Sports failed to secure agreements with the likes of YouTube TV and Hulu. Diamond launched Bally Sports+, a standalone streaming platform, but fans complained about the price and the performance. 

Broadcasts on all platforms have been disrupted occasionally by technical issues. Earlier this season, for example, Bally+ was completely inoperable during a Thunder broadcast.

Amazon Prime has become a trusted streaming platform and has been expanding its sports coverage. It now broadcasts the NFL’s Thursday Night Football. 

Many media watchers believe Amazon could be a major player in NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball games moving forward. Diamond Sports and Bally’s broadcasts the games of 37 teams in those leagues, and with Diamond Sports going through bankruptcy, the future of those regional broadcasts is unknown.

Amazon’s agreement with Diamond Sports would open the door for negotiations with the teams currently broadcast by Bally Sports.