Main Street Sports Group, operator of the FanDuel Sports Network RSNs, has reached the end of the line with its Major League Baseball partners.
The nine Major League Baseball teams who were under contract with Main Street Sports Group have officially left the company, according to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Earlier Monday, John Ourand of Puck reported on social media that six of the nine teams — the Brewers, Cardinals, Marlins, Rays, Reds and Royals — were leaving Main Street for the MLB in-house production arm, with the Angels, Braves and Tigers said to be undecided.
The Cardinals were the first of the teams to make an official announcement, saying Monday that their games will be distributed by MLB Media this season. They were joined as the day progressed by the Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Reds and Royals, leaving only the Angels, Braves and Tigers as teams who have yet to announce an agreement.
Per Friend, the Tigers’ ownership group is “expected” to move both of the franchises it owns — the baseball team and NHL Red Wings — under the MLB Media umbrella. (MLB already handles production of the NHL Network.) The Braves are expected to follow in the footsteps of the Rangers and create their own RSN.
Beyond the five teams who have officially announced deals and the three whose intentions have been publicly reported, only the Angels remain as a potential wild card. In his report Monday, Friend left open the possibility that some teams might opt for “alternative platforms” like Victory+ and Kiswe.
Main Street appeared to confirm the departures in a statement published by Sports Business Journal: “We appreciate the relationships we have had with our MLB partners and fans over many years, and we wish them the best.”
MLB could end up controlling the local media rights of up to 15 teams this season — half of the league — between the Main Street teams, the returning Diamondbacks, Guardians, Padres, Rockies and Twins and previously-announced offseason additions the Mariners and Nationals. ESPN in the offseason won digital in-market distribution rights to all MLB teams whose games are produced by the league, but that will not go into effect until the 2027 season. For this season, those games will only be streamed in the MLB app, as confirmed on the newly-launched webpage for the Cardinals’ local broadcasts.
The loss of the MLB teams would seem to guarantee that Main Street will have no future beyond this season, but Friend reported that there is a “sense” among NBA and NHL sources that Main Street will not only try to finish out the season but also seek to negotiate new extensions. Whether or not that is in any way feasible, given Main Street is reportedly having difficulty meeting its rights fee obligations, remains to be seen.
In the previously mentioned statement to SBJ, Main Street said that it is “continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games” and in “ongoing discussions on our go-forward plans” with the two leagues.
