The Los Angeles Angels, along with eight other Major League Baseball teams, terminated broadcast deals with FanDuel Sports Network and its parent company, Main Street Sports Group, on Thursday, Jan. 8.
According to the Associated Press, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is prepared to produce and distribute the broadcasts of all nine teams — the Angels, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays.
‘No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,’ Manfred told reporters.
Main Street reportedly missed a payment to the Cardinals a month ago, while Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Main Street also missed a payment to the Marlins that was due on Jan. 1. Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal reported that the Rays might have been the only team to receive their 2026 rights fee payment on time.
This has happened before; MLB took over the broadcast rights of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 after Main Street — then known as Diamond Sports Group — missed a rights fee payment to each team. The proverbial door however, isn’t exactly closed yet. According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, all nine teams could return to FanDuel networks on re-negotiated deals.
Main Street is also the regional sports network (RSN) carrier for 13 NBA teams and seven NHL teams. Per the Sports Business Journal, Main Street was in negotiations with DAZN to buy the struggling network, but that talks are ‘teetering’ and the company might shutter unless a second bidder emerges.