The proposed sale of FanDuel Sports Network to streaming giant DAZN is in serious peril after the network’s owner, Main Street Sports Group, missed a critical rights payment to the St. Louis Cardinals. If the deal fails, the local broadcasts for 30 professional sports teams could vanish mid-season, reverting rights to the franchises and creating unprecedented chaos.
Main Street Sports Group, the current owner of the FanDuel-branded regional sports networks (RSNs), failed to make its December broadcast rights payment to the St. Louis Cardinals, a significant red flag that signals deep financial distress. This missed payment directly jeopardizes the proposed sale of the network bundle to international sports streaming platform DAZN.
According to a Sports Business Journal report, sources indicate that if the sale to DAZN is not completed, Main Street Sports Group will initiate plans to dissolve its business entirely. This catastrophic outcome would force the broadcast rights for all 30 teams to revert back to the individual franchises midway through the NBA and NHL seasons and just before MLB spring training.
The Domino Effect of a Failed Sale
The situation has sent shockwaves through the front offices of the affected teams. The NBA swiftly organized a conference call last week with executives from all 13 of its teams tied to FanDuel Sports Network to discuss contingency plans. One team executive involved in the call described the potential mid-season collapse as their “worst fear,” highlighting the lack of ready-made solutions for producing and distributing games on such short notice.
This crisis is a painful echo of recent history for these clubs. Main Street Sports Group is the reorganized entity that emerged from the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group just one year ago. That lengthy Chapter 11 process already put teams and fans through a period of uncertainty regarding local game access. A second collapse in as many years threatens to permanently erode viewer confidence in the traditional RSN model.
Understanding the Financial Stakes
The financial implications are enormous for the teams involved. The report from Sports Business Journal detailed that the local broadcast rights payments from Main Street to the 13 NBA teams alone totaled approximately $180 million for the 2025-26 season. These guaranteed contracts represent a vital revenue stream that is now in immediate danger.
For the leagues, a dissolution would trigger an emergency scenario. While rights would revert to the teams, most lack the infrastructure to suddenly produce television broadcasts. The most likely short-term outcome would involve the leagues themselves stepping in to facilitate production and distribution, potentially through direct-to-consumer streaming packages or last-minute deals with local broadcast affiliates—a messy and far-from-ideal solution for all involved.
The Teams in the Crosshairs
The potential broadcast blackout affects a significant portion of the professional sports landscape across three major leagues.
NBA Teams Affected (13)
- 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
NHL Teams Affected (8)
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Detroit Red Wings
- Los Angeles Kings
- Minnesota Wild
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- Tampa Bay Lightning
MLB Teams Affected (9)
- Atlanta Braves
- Cincinnati Reds
- Detroit Tigers
- Kansas City Royals
- Los Angeles Angels
- Miami Marlins
- Milwaukee Brewers
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Tampa Bay Rays
What’s Next for Fans and the Industry?
All eyes are now on DAZN and Main Street Sports Group to see if they can salvage the deal before the end-of-January deadline. A successful sale to DAZN, which has aggressively expanded its global sports footprint, would provide a stable, streaming-focused future for these local broadcasts.
However, if the deal collapses, the sports media industry will face its most significant disruption in decades. The situation accelerates an inevitable shift away from the traditional cable-bundled RSN model toward direct-to-consumer streaming, but it forces that transition upon teams and fans abruptly and without a clear plan. The coming weeks will be a critical test of resilience for the teams, leagues, and most importantly, the millions of fans who simply want to watch their home teams play.
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