All nine MLB teams whose games are broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network are officially departing the parent company Main Street Sports Group, with eight of the nine expected to migrate to MLB Media, SBJ has learned.
The ninth team, the Braves, are expected to launch their own network, perhaps to air on a national streaming platform such as Amazon or Apple or with a template similar to the Rangers Sports Network — which has direct-to-distributor deals with cable and satellite providers, a local over-the-air partner and a streaming outlet in Victory+.
The other eight teams — the Reds, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Brewers, Cardinals and Rays — will purportedly strike deals with local distributors in their respective home markets and, according to sources Monday afternoon, likely stream their games on the MLB app.
With still 52 days before Opening Day, sources said it is remains possible teams such as the Rays, Tigers and Angels could strike independent streaming deals with Victory+, ViewLift, Kiswe, Endeavor or some other platform. But, as of Monday afternoon, sources believed the others (Cardinals, Brewers, Royals, Reds, Marlins) were staying within the MLB umbrella and the other three were trending that way. The Cardinals and Brewers have already made their move to MLB Media official.
Meanwhile, sources said NBA and NHL teams are in a business-as-usual holding pattern, with the sense that Main Street still plans to air their games the rest of the regular season and simultaneously attempt to negotiate deals beyond this year. A resolution with those leagues is expected to play out over the next two weeks.
At the same time, sources said those NBA and NHL teams did not receive their recent February rights fee payments on Sunday, and it is unclear whether future payments will be reduced by 20% or more — or even arrive at all. The NBA is likely in negotiations to ensure their teams receive at least a portion of this season’s rights fees, though nothing has been formalized.
Without MLB broadcasts, industry insiders still question the viability of Main Street following April’s NBA and NHL regular seasons –and still expect a wind down of their business by spring, unless there is 11th hour financing. Sources said DAZN, which originally had its sights set on buying Main Street but couldn’t convince MLB teams to stay in the fold, is no longer a bidder.
A Main Street spokesperson issued the following statement Monday: “FanDuel Sports Network is continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games, and we appreciate the leagues’ engagement in ongoing discussions on our go-forward plans. We appreciate the relationships we have had with our MLB partners and fans over many years, and we wish them the best.”
The Braves’ next move is expected to be a prodigious one. The franchise was one of Main Street’s most profitable partners, and its impending launch of its own network –potentially in collaboration with Amazon or Apple — could be precedent setting.
The Braves, in fact, released a statement Monday afternoon saying, “The Atlanta Braves are aware of the reports regarding Main Street Sports Group. While disappointed with this development, we have been actively preparing for this outcome and are well on our way towards launching a new era in Braves broadcasting.
“Throughout Braves Country and beyond, we have one of the largest and most dedicated fan bases in sports, as well as one of the most expansive television territories, and we are excited about bringing Braves baseball to our fans in new ways. To our fans, we want to assure you that we will be ready for the 2026 season, and all Atlanta Braves games will be broadcast across the entirety of Braves Country. We look forward to sharing our path forward in the coming weeks.”
One other outlier development involves the Red Wings, who are governed by the same Tigers ownership group, the Illitch family. Sources told SBJ the Illitch group is could conceivably take the Red Wings along with the Tigers to MLB Media, which would provide some production and distribution services for the Red Wings’ linear/digital broadcasts in Detroit. Illitch could also bring both teams to an entirely different platform, as well.
Puck’s John Ourand was first to report on plans by six of the nine MLB teams.
