What Happens to Your Local RSN If FanDuel Sports Goes Belly Up?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Buy Me a Coffee!

TV Answer Man, I see that FanDuel Sports may go out of business. What will happen to the Braves on TV if that happens? – Cheryl, Smyrna, Georgia.

Cheryl, DAZN, which has the rights to live sports across the globe, is negotiating to buy FanDuel Sports Network, which has the regional TV rights to 30 NBA, NHL and MLB teams. The deal could help DAZN become a major player in the sports TV business in the United States.

However, Sports Business Journal reports that the deal is not assured and that FanDuel Sports Network, which is owned by the Main Street Sports Group, would likely go out of business early next year if it’s not completed.

That would potentially create a chaotic situation for the NBA and NHL which are in mid-season. Who would do the broadcasts if FanDuel Sports Networks shuts down? Major League Baseball would have more time to find an alternative because the 2026 regular season doesn’t start until late March.

If FanDuel Sports Network abruptly folds, the regional TV rights to the 30 teams would revert back to the teams. MLB TV, which already does the broadcasts for several teams such as the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, would then likely take over the FanDuel teams as well. The league would also likely package the FanDuel teams with the teams already under the MLB TV umbrella and sell it to a sports streamer such as ESPN which would make it part of its Unlimited app. (MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has previously stated he wants to do something like this.) It’s unclear if the $29.99 a month ESPN app would require an add-on fee for the regional MLB coverage but it’s likely as well.

The NHL already has a deal with ESPN to air its out-of-market games, a package called NHL Power Play. So it’s a good bet that the league would begin producing the games of the FanDuel Sports teams and negotiate a wider agreement with ESPN.

The NBA, which has an 11-year TV deal with Amazon, is probably burning the phone lines right now with the etailer. Amazon, which has huge sports TV ambitions, undoubtedly would be receptive to buying the regional TV rights to the FanDuel Sports teams. The company already has a semi-exclusive for the streaming rights to the NBA League Pass and it’s an investor in the Main Street Sports Group.

It’s also possible that a few teams could decide to go their own way and create their own channels. But considering the uncertain economics of starting a regional sports network (RSN), that’s probably not likely.

Regardless if a team is on a league-backed network, or an individual team-owned channel, the usual TV providers such as DIRECTV, Verizon and Comcast will create TV channels to air the games, just as they have for teams now broadcast via MLB TV.

Bottom line: You won’t miss any games. But where you watch them might change.

Cheryl, I hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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