The nine Major League Baseball teams carried by FanDuel Sports Network, including the Tigers, have canceled their television contracts amid continued financial strife in the regional sports network industry.
The move was widely expected on the heels of FanDuel Sports Network’s parent company, Main Street Sports Group, signaling plans to cease operations at some point in 2026 if it doesn’t find a buyer for the company.
The RSN parent company emerged from bankruptcy early in 2025 and continued to broadcast games for dozens of MLB, NHL and NBA teams, including the Red Wings and Pistons. But money issues remain, including reported missed payments to MLB teams in recent weeks. It’s not clear if Main Street Sports Group has missed its latest payment to the Tigers.
The Tigers have not commented publicly on the situation, but are known to have been preparing for alterative options, should the FanDuel Sports Network situation eventually implode ― taking more control over their broadcasts in 2025, including making play-by-play man Jason Benetti an employee of the team.
Opting out of the contract allows the Tigers flexibility for 2026 should Main Steet decide again to file for bankruptcy. Those options could include more over-the-air telecasts or streaming through MLB’s platform, a scenario that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has long said the league is prepared to take on, and he confirmed as much in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday night.
“No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,” Manfred said in New York on Thursday.
In recent years, MLB has taken over the broadcasts for the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins. The Seattle Mariners are expected to join that list for 2026, and possibly the Washington Nationals, as well.
The RSN industry has struggled mightily in recent years, as more and more sports fans have cut the cord on traditional cable and turned to more streaming options. FanDuel Sports Network beefed up its streaming-subscription offerings, including partnering with Amazon Prime, but it hasn’t been enough to stop the bleeding.
The Tigers threatened to leave FanDuel Sports Network after the 2024 season, as well, with the bankruptcy case still playing out in court, but eventually returned for the 2025 season ― albeit at a significantly reduction in its annual rights fee. It could return again in 2026 but would likely have to take another reduction; an exit this year feels more realistic than last year. The exact worth of the TV rights fee for the Tigers hasn’t been made public, but it’s believed to have been worth more than $50 million a year less than a decade ago. The rights fee was a significant revenue stream for the ballclub’s payroll, and remains one, even in its significantly reduced state.
A move to the MLB broadcast umbrella could provide long-sought stability for teams but it isn’t likely to prove as lucrative as the heyday rights deals, at least not in the short-term.
“The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now,” Manfred said in the AP interview. “I think that what’s happening right now, clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously, they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”
The Red Wings, like the Tigers owned by the Ilitch family, and Pistons also returned to FanDuel Sports Network for this current season, also at reduced rights fees. If Main Street does eventually cease operations, it’s likely to come after the current NHL and NBA regular seasons, though a midseason shutdown is a possibility, too.
Main Street has been seeking a buyer in recent weeks and seemed to have an interested one in London-based streamer DAZN, but those talks have reportedly stalled. Fubo, a paid-TV streamer, has now apparently entered the picture, according to a report from Sports Business Journal.
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