A significant sports activities broadcasting firm that solely just lately escaped chapter is in monetary peril but once more.
Main Street Sports Group, which has the tv rights to 29 groups throughout three sports activities — 13 within the NBA, 9 in MLB and 7 within the NHL — is making an attempt to promote a majority stake to DAZN, a sports activities community that’s most distinguished exterior of the U.S., an individual briefed on the conversations who was not approved to talk publicly confirmed.
Main Street’s channels are identified by their FanDuel Sports Network branding.
A sale to DAZN could be wrapped up as quickly as January. If it falls by means of, Main Street could finally be shut down following the present NBA and NHL seasons, the supply stated. In the meantime, not less than some rights-fees funds are already in jeopardy. Main Street didn’t make a scheduled cost to baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals final week, sources confirmed.
“Main Street Sports Group is in discussions with certain team partners around the timing of their rights payments as we progress discussions with strategic partners to further enhance our long-term capital position,” Main Street stated in a press release.
Main Street could attempt to as soon as once more scale back what it pays to groups. During a 20-month chapter continuing that ended a few yr in the past, Main Street – then identified as Diamond Sports Group – was in a position to renegotiate lots of the rights-fee agreements it paid golf equipment, reducing prices. Partner groups and leagues won’t have a lot curiosity in additional revisions, nevertheless.
“… we have engaged with certain team partners around their rights payments and the terms of sustainable partnerships as we work to get more clarity on the future direction of the company,” Main Street CEO David Preschlack wrote to staff on Sunday in an e-mail that was obtained by The Athletic.
Many regional sports activities networks throughout the U.S. have struggled as the variety of conventional tv subscribers has declined. If Main Street folded, the printed rights the corporate owns would revert again to the assorted golf equipment and leagues, which could then discover new companions to hold video games. In that situation, video games could finally wind up on totally different channels than they’re at the moment.
“We are in regular communication with our clubs and are prepared to deal with any outcome in this situation,” the NHL stated in a press release. “Our top priority is to ensure no disruption to our fans.”
MLB declined remark. Requests for remark made to the Cardinals, DAZN and the NBA weren’t returned.
Sports Business Journal first reported the missed cost and the potential for Main Street to shutter with no sale to DAZN.
Main Street Sports Group is the most recent iteration of an organization that emerged from a messy and high-profile chapter continuing at first of this yr. When the enterprise was identified as Diamond Sports Group, the channels had been branded in that interval as Bally Sports.
For a big chunk of Main Street’s chapter continuing, MLB was maybe the corporate’s largest critic, doubting {that a} reorganized plan would work. Now, bother has rapidly emerged once more.
“These discussions are progressing in earnest, and we are working diligently to finalize the path forward as soon as we can,” Preschlack wrote to staff on Sunday.
If Main Street closes, ESPN would wind up carrying further MLB groups on prime of the six it already has, an individual briefed on the league’s take care of ESPN stated.
In 2023, MLB’s league workplace began dealing with broadcasts of baseball groups when Main Street (then Diamond) dropped some golf equipment it carried through the chapter course of. In a deal agreed to late this yr, MLB granted ESPN the rights to hold these league-produced broadcasts — together with the previous Main Street groups that the league took on internally. Additional Main Street groups would additionally go to ESPN.
There’s “no scenario” through which FanDuel would enter chapter once more, an individual briefed on the corporate’s pondering stated.
Founded in 2016, DAZN carries NHL and NFL video games exterior of the U.S. The firm referred to as itself “the world’s largest broadcaster of European football” in a 2025 information launch.
In August, DAZN reached a deal to sublicense faculty soccer and basketball video games from ESPN, additionally to a global viewers.
For 2024, DAZN reported a $935.6 million pre-tax loss with about $3.19 billion in income. The firm had a few $1.44 billion pre-tax loss the yr earlier than with $2.86 billion in income.