FanDuel Sports Network Going Broke? What Are the Teams & Leagues Saying About This?

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

TV Answer Man, with FanDuel Sports in trouble, what are the teams and leagues saying about what they will do if they stop doing their games? Do they have a Plan B? – Gene, Pittsburgh.

Gene, Sports Business Journal reported earlier this month that the sports distributor, DAZN, is negotiating to buy FanDuel Sports Network, which has the local TV rights to 29 MLB, NHL and NBA teams. If the deal fails, SBJ writes, FanDuel Sports Network, which is owned by Main Street Sports Group, could go out of business in early 2026, leaving the broadcasts of the 29 teams in limbo.

Since the report, the New York Times has confirmed the negotiations are not assured and added that FanDuel Sports Network is unlikely to declare bankruptcy if the sale does not go through. It would simply begin to dissolve business.

Before I explain what the teams and leagues are saying about this situation, let me state with total certainty that you will not miss any games. They will either stay on a FanDuel/DAZN service, be added to a league-run streaming service and/or made part of a newly created channel on cable/satellite/live streaming services.

However, the three leagues and their FanDuel teams need to be prepared to move fast if the DAZN-FanDuel Sports Network talks collapse. So what are they saying?

National Hockey League
”We are in regular communication with our clubs and are prepared to deal with any outcome in this situation,” the NHL said in a statement to the Times. “Our top priority is to ensure no disruption to our fans.”

Major League Baseball
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has not commented since the SBJ article. But MLB TV, which already does the broadcasts for several teams such as the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, would 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. (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.

National Basketball Association
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. However, multiple news reports say that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has notified teams that the league is ready to begin broadcasting games if FanDuel Sports Network shutters. It’s possible that the league could begin broadcasting and ultimately sell the rights to Amazon or another party.

The 29 teams have been fairly quiet about the FanDuel Sports crisis, but one team did issue a comment to their fans regarding the uncertainty of 2026 broadcasts:

St. Louis Cardinals
“We are currently working with FanDuel Sports Network, Major League Baseball, and other stakeholders regarding our alternatives for local media distribution. We remain committed to ensuring that Cardinals games continue to be available to fans throughout our broadcast territory on cable and through direct-to-consumer streaming options in 2026.”

(Sports Business Journal reports that FanDuel Sports Network has already missed a rights payment to the Cardinals.)

What Are the 29 FanDuel Sports Network Teams?

MLB
Atlanta Braves
Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels
Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays

NHL
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues

NBA
Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs.

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