Fubo reportedly retracts offers to NBA teams for local broadcasts; Mark Lazarus discusses potential opportunities for Versant amid NFL renegotiations; and Disney is reportedly appearing “more willing to negotiate” on Super Bowl ad price. Plus news on Netflix, Angels Broadcast Television, Prime Video and the OBL.
Fubo reportedly retracts offers to NBA teams for local broadcasts
Fubo has retracted the offers it made to the 13 NBA teams formerly associated with Main Street Sports Group, according to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. The company was reportedly offering between $8-20 million, higher than bids from other outlets such as DAZN and Victory+, but ultimately determined that it “could not find a path forward that made financial and operational sense,” it said in a statement to SBJ.
Fubo, which completed a transaction to merge its business with Disney-owned Hulu + Live TV last October, informed the NBA teams that it would not continue in the bidding process because of “uncertainty surrounding proposed minimum guarantees,” per Friend. The development occurs as the NBA could reportedly attempt to launch a national solution for local streaming next season.
In the meantime, the ex-Main Street teams will need to find new homes for at least one season. The Pistons were the first of those to reach a new deal, partnering with Scripps Sports to distribute local broadcasts via independent affiliate WMYD-TV20, it was announced Wednesday. The deal marks the first time Scripps Sports has landed local rights for an NBA team. The Red Wings and Tigers, who were also on Main Street last year, moved to Detroit SportsNet, a new RSN established by the teams’ ownership group Ilitch Sports & Entertainment.
Main Street Sports Group is winding down operations and broadcast its final regional games in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Lazarus: Versant will “selectively look at contracts” as companies evaluate NFL spending
Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said during an earnings call Thursday that the company will “selectively look at contracts” that may become available as NFL media rights negotiations “pressure” the league’s broadcast partners to “make decision on other content.” Lazarus, echoing comments he made in March, said Versant will be “well positioned” to consider bidding on properties that are going to expire soon, including “baseball, hockey, soccer or Premier League.”
“I do think there will continue to be opportunity for us to build upon our sports portfolio,” Lazarus said, though he added that the company plans to spend judiciously. Lazarus, along with USA Sports president Matt Hong, has previously expressed a company goal of reaching a 50-50 revenue split between its linear television outlets and other non-pay television sources.
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a quarterly earnings call earlier this year that the company “could consider balancing or rebalancing” its sports portfolio to account for an increase in the cost of NFL rights. Although the NFL reportedly hopes to have new rights deals in place before the new season, Paramount is the only company to have confirmed such discussions with the league thus far.
Lazarus noted that Versant has engaged in several sports media transactions since its spinoff from NBCUniversal, including more WNBA coverage and contract extensions with USGA and the PGA of America. The company also finished its first season televising League One Volleyball.
Disney reportedly appearing “more willing to negotiate” on Super Bowl ad price
The Walt Disney Company appears “more willing to negotiate” the price of Super Bowl advertisements after initially seeking $10 million per 30-second spot, according to a report by Brian Steinberg of Variety. Disney has been able to sell more than ten of the 30-second advertising slots for the game at a price of “around $9 million each,” per Steinberg. The company is also said to be “entertaining counteroffers” for a committed match of funds allocated in other areas of its media portfolio.
Some of the companies purchasing advertising are reportedly “new non-traditional entrants” from businesses such as artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals and finance. Steinberg wrote that Disney has signed advertising deals with “independents,” referring to companies without representations from a “big advertising agency.” He added that marketers who have “longer Super Bowl track records might hold out for better terms.”
More than 10 commercials during this past year’s Super Bowl on NBC sold for $8 million each, per a report by Lillian Rizzo of CNBC. NBCUniversal announced it had sold out Super Bowl advertising inventory prior to the start of the 2025 regular season.
Disney plans to broadcast the Super Bowl across several of its owned networks, including ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The company’s NFL slate features 26 regular-season games during the regular season — including 10 of 17 “Monday Night Football” games simulcast on ABC — and three playoff matchups culminating with Super Bowl LXI.
Plus: Netflix, Angels Broadcast Television, Prime Video, OBL
- Netflix will broadcast the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for the first time in February 2027, showcasing the three-night competition from the Jacob K. Javits Center and Madison Square Garden. Fox Sports has aired the tournament since 2017 under a reported 10-year media rights deal that recently expired. This longstanding tradition joins the Netflix sports portfolio as it continues to operate under an event-focused strategy. Netflix sports host Elle Duncan made the announcement from the company’s Upfront on Wednesday, which is where the streamer also revealed its new agreement with the NFL.
- Los Angeles Angels play-by-play voice Patrick O’Neal is no longer calling the team’s games on television after 13 years as part of its broadcast team. O’Neal has filled in for Wayne Randazzo over the years, along with hosting pregame and postgame coverage. Trent Rush shared that he will be the new backup play-by-play announcer, calling Friday night games on Angels Broadcast Television as Randazzo works nationally on Apple TV. It remains unknown if O’Neal will continue to be part of broadcasts of Los Angeles Kings hockey, which will air on the RSN owned by the Angels next season.
- Los Angeles Sparks G Kelsey Plum will work on Amazon’s Prime Video as a player contributor for WNBA broadcasts this season, the company announced on Thursday. Plum, who is is a two-time WNBA champion and former No. 1 overall draft pick, is going to be joining the “WNBA on Prime” studio team throughout the year to provide insights and analysis.
- Fubo Sports Network will broadcast the Ones Basketball League under a new streaming agreement, bringing one-on-one competition to the FAST channel. NBC Sports analyst and former NBA Hall of Fame F Tracy McGrady founded the league in 2022, and it will now have a streaming television presence for the first time. The OBL is entering a “Battle of The Cities” format with owners/GMs such as Jaylen Brown, Jadakiss and Vince Carter, and its first of three event days takes place on Friday.
