The “FanDuel Sports Network” era will continue in at least one market, as the Angels have bought their existing RSN.
The MLB Los Angeles Angels have assumed ownership of the regional sports network FanDuel Sports Network West, which will continue to operate under that name, it was announced Monday. The Angels already held joint ownership of the RSN, which like all of the other “FanDuel Sports Network” stations was part of the Main Street Sports Group portfolio. According to multiple reports Friday, the team bought out Main Street’s ownership share of the network.
The decision to retain the FanDuel Sports Network name and branding will presumably reduce confusion for viewers, particularly those not paying close attention to the collapse of the RSN industry.
Of the nine Major League Baseball teams who exited their Main Street contracts in January, the Angels were the last to decide on an alternative plan for this season. Seven others opted to cede production and distribution of their games to Major League Baseball, while the Braves decided to create their own platform, BravesVision.
The Angels had been considering whether to join the MLB in-house production arm, team owner Arte Moreno said last month. Per Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal Friday, the team was waiting for assurances that creditors would not attempt to seize Main Street’s stake in the network before buying them out.
It should be noted that the league will still handle the team’s digital distribution via the new Angels.TV, as previously announced.
In addition to the Angels, the NHL Kings will continue to play on FanDuel Sports Network West for the rest of this season and all of next season, per Monday’s announcement.
Between the nine MLB teams who opted out of their deals and the two NHL teams who in one form or another went along for the ride — the Kings and Red Wings, the latter of whom will move with the Tigers to the new “Detroit SportsNet” after this season — the Main Street Sports Group portfolio is down to 19 teams across 14 networks, compared to 42 across 21 prior to entering bankruptcy.
Main Street is actively winding down its business, with the only remaining question being whether it can remain afloat for the final six weeks of the NBA and NHL seasons.
Post-Main Street, MLB and the NBA are both planning to centralize their local media rights — but while MLB is targeting 2028 for the launch of its local broadcast platform, the NBA could launch its version as soon as next season, per reporting by John Ourand of Puck earlier this month and SBJ’s Friend last week. Unlike MLB and the NBA, the NHL has no immediate plans to launch a centralized streaming option and is taking an “all of the above” approach, commissioner Gary Bettman told Ourand in a podcast published Sunday.
