Main Street Sports Group to cease operations after NBA, NHL seasons

Main Street Sports Group plans to cease operations at the end of the NBA regular season and after the first round of the NHL playoffs, ending local media agreements for 20 teams across the two leagues.

The company, which operates its channels under the FanDuel Sports Network brand, told teams it would wind down unless it reaches a strategic transaction.

Its 13 NBA team deals are set to end when the regular season concludes April 12, while seven NHL team agreements will expire after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs later that month.

In a statement to ESPN, a Main Street Sports spokesperson said: “FanDuel Sports Network has reached agreements with the NBA and NHL to broadcast games and other programming through the end of the 2026 NBA regular season and the end of the first round of the NHL playoffs. We are preparing to wind down our operations upon seasons’ end unless we reach a strategic transaction. We’re pleased to finish out the NBA and NHL seasons, and we appreciate the collaborative relationships we have enjoyed with our team and league partners as well as the connections we have fostered with local fans.”

The move followed another turbulent stretch for the company, which emerged from bankruptcy after operating as Diamond Sports Group, a Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary that took on nearly $9 billion in debt to acquire 21 regional sports channels from Fox. Diamond filed for bankruptcy in March 2023 and exited 22 months later after missed payments, legal disputes and a carriage impasse with Comcast.

Main Street entered 2025 with rights agreements spanning 29 NBA, NHL and MLB teams, along with a naming-rights deal that rebranded its outlets as FanDuel Sports Network and a commercial agreement with Amazon.

Sports Business Journal reported in late December that Main Street had missed a payment to Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals while pursuing a potential sale to DAZN. That deal fell apart, more missed payments followed and all nine MLB teams exited their agreements before spring training.

According to Sports Business Journal, NBA and NHL teams also did not receive their rights-fee payments this year. The report said teams are expected to recover part of those missed payments.

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The shutdown will send another group of teams into the market for new local distribution plans, including direct-to-consumer streaming, over-the-air partnerships and hybrid digital models.

Main Street currently holds NBA local rights for the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.

Its NHL portfolio includes the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues.