Comcast Potentially Due $54M Or More From Astros, Les Alexander

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has "ruled in favor of Comcast on a critical element" of the '13-14 CSN Houston bankruptcy case, "reopening the possibility" that the Astros and former Rockets Owner Les Alexander could have to pay $54M or more to the company, according to David Barron of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. A three-judge appeals panel in a decision issued last week said that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur "erred" in a '14 ruling "designed to help determine if Comcast should recover any or all" of a $100M secured loan that helped launch the RSN in fall '12. The case "now goes back to Isgur, who will preside over another hearing to determine whether Comcast is owed a significant balance of its loan or whether the teams can argue successfully that Comcast is owed nothing." The 5th Circuit's ruling has "no impact" on AT&T SportsNet Southwest, which "now airs Rockets and Astros games" ( HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/3 ).