Farewell, FanDuel Sports Network: What Comes Next For Sports Viewers?
FanDuel Sports Network personalities sign off for good
After the Minnesota Wild clinched their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, FanDuel Sports Network North hosts Anthony LaPanta, Katie Storm, and Wes Walz sat at a table postgame and reminisced.
During “Wild Live,” a show typically reserved for game analysis and highlights, the broadcast trio spent more than 12 minutes talking about their respective careers, saying thank-yous to fans, and acknowledging producers behind the scenes. Former players and current analysts Ryan Carter and Kevin Gorg joined in.
“We don’t know where we’re headed next year,” LaPanta said. “We have no idea. … I hope somehow, some way, you’ll find us, wherever we are, for next season.”
Amid the heartfelt sendoff—and others like it across the country—was a palpable sense of uncertainty for fans who have enjoyed watching the NBA, MLB, NHL, and other sports on FanDuel Sports Network. The channel’s parent company, Main Street Sports Group, has been winding down operations since April after years of financial hardship.
The company told ESPN that it would begin the shutdown process after the NBA regular season and first round of the NHL playoffs ended “unless we reach a strategic transaction.” That has not materialized.
Without FanDuel Sports Network, where will sports leagues go?
Life after FanDuel Sports Network has already started. Nine MLB teams left Main Street and made broadcast agreements elsewhere. Most of those teams partnered with the league.
The Los Angeles Angels bought out Main Street’s remaining stake of FanDuel Sports Network West, giving the team full ownership of its flagship channel. The Detroit Tigers started their own channel with the Red Wings, while the Atlanta Braves launched BravesVision.
It remains to be seen what NBA and NHL teams will do. Both leagues are in the throes of their respective postseasons, which at this point are all being broadcast on national networks. But the gears already seem to be turning.
In March, the NBA informed teams that it could launch a local streaming hub for TV broadcasts a year earlier than expected—as soon as the 2026–2027 season, per Sports Business Journal. This development, the publication said, is directly tied to the FanDuel Sports Network closure. SBJ’s report said the league is in talks with ESPN, Amazon, DAZN, and YouTube TV.
DAZN, a London-based sports streaming service, has recently confirmed its interest in entering the NBA broadcast game. The company, per SBJ, is aggressively courting the 13 NBA teams that previously aired locally on FanDuel Sports Networks.
As far as the NHL is concerned, Commissioner Gary Bettman likes a multi-pronged approach to local broadcast rights rather than a centralized one like MLB has built, and the NBA is planning to build. He said some teams are looking at other regional sports networks, while others are going to streaming or over-the-air channels.
“We’re gonna have to adjust,” Bettman said on The Varsity podcast in March. “We’re looking at all possibilities.”
CableTV.com verdict: Just make it easier to watch local broadcasts
I’ve learned a lot about broadcasting local sports recently, and my main takeaway is this: It’s just too complicated.
FanDuel Sports Network’s closure adds to the confusion in an already dizzying media landscape, at least in the short term. I like the idea of having one place to watch the NBA, NHL, or MLB. It’s why I enjoy out-of-market services like NBA League Pass or MLB.TV so much—one service, I get the games or teams I want, and that’s that.
So whatever happens in the wake of FanDuel Sports Network’s demise, I just hope viewers have fewer headaches. It shouldn’t be that hard—or expensive—to watch your local team on TV. We’re already seeing a lot of frustration during the NBA Playoffs, with games appearing on three or four different channels over the course of two weeks for a single series.
Reward loyal fans, and the benefit will be exponential.
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