Udonis Haslem will join Amazon’s NBA studio; NHL All-Star Game likely cancelled next year; the NFL Draft announces its next host site; and Main Street Sports subscriptions are on the rise.
Udonis Haslem joining Prime Video studio
Three-time NBA champion Udonis Haslem will join Amazon Prime Video’s NBA studio coverage next season, the streamer announced Monday. Haslem will join Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, and host Taylor Rooks for studio coverage originating from Culver City, CA, as was previously announced. Haslem, who also works in the Miami Heat front office, joined NBA TV and ESPN for occasional appearances this season after his 2024 retirement from the NBA.
Monday’s announcement also confirmed previous reporting that Candace Parker, Dwayne Wade, and Steve Nash will also join Prime Video, rotating between studio and game analyst roles. This season will be the first full-time national analyst position for Nash.
NHL cancelling 2026 All-Star Game
The National Hockey League is likely to cancel the 2026 All-Star Game due to the schedule interruption caused by the Winter Olympics, according to the AP. UBS Arena in New York will host an “international event” in place of the game, likely the weekend before the Olympics begin (January 31-February 1, Pro Bowl weekend).
The move, which had been expected for months based on previous reporting, drew strong reactions from elected officials. New York Governor Kathy Hochul released a letter to the NHL Monday, expressing disappointment with the league’s decision and requesting the league schedule the 2027 game or a similar event in New York.
NFL Draft headed to DC in 2027
The NFL announced Monday the 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington, D.C across the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. The event will be the first NFL Draft held in the DC area since 1940. Pittsburgh will host the 2026 edition next year. The announcement continues the trend of the league offering the marquee offseason event to cooler-weather northern cities that are unlikely to host a Super Bowl in the future.
The league previously staged the 2003 NFL Kickoff Game in the nation’s capital, with pregame events held on the National Mall that included a Pepsi Vanilla-sponsored Britney Spears concert. Weeks later, the US Congress enacted legislation that heavily limited commercial advertising on the Mall. It’s not clear how this legislation could affect the 2027 Draft event and its prominent Bud Light sponsorship, although NFL commissioner Roger Goodell joined the President from the Oval Office on Monday to make the announcement, so the league at least appears to have the executive branch on its side.
FDSN seeing subscriber growth
FanDuel Sports Network’s direct-to-consumer business has doubled over the last eight weeks and now consists of 650,000 paying subscribers, according to Sports Business Journal. The direct-to-consumer product offers streaming access to live NBA, MLB, and NHL games to in-market fans at varying prices.
Among reasons for the growth include the start of baseball season and the NBA playoffs. Games airing nationally on NBA TV are blacked out in the participating markets, meaning the game is only available through the team’s local broadcaster. Of the eight teams with a playoff game on NBA TV this season, six of them have their local games on a FDSN network.
