A U.S. bankruptcy judge blocked the Phoenix Suns and Mercury's proposed new television and streaming deal on Wednesday, deeming that the team violated the rights of its current partner Diamond Sports Group.
The Suns announced in April that they would move their games off cable and broadcast their games on free over-the-air TV.
The judge ruled that the team could not move on from its existing contract with the currently bankrupt Diamond Sports Group. U.S. bankruptcy laws protect debtors from having their contracts modified or terminated without consent.
The judge did not award Diamond Sports Group monetary penalties, though he did not rule it out at future hearings.