Published on: December 22, 2025, 06:45h.
Updated on: December 21, 2025, 06:46h.
- Main Street Sports Group faces imminent collapse without a successful sale to DAZN.
- The company operates FanDuel-branded regional sports networks (RSNs).
- Flutter Entertainment, the owner of FanDuel, is not implicated in the financial struggles.
The operator of the FanDuel-branded regional sports networks (RSNs) is in a critical situation and needs to finalize a sale to DAZN to remain operational.
Main Street Sports Group, which oversees the RSNs, has failed to make this month’s media rights payment to the St. Louis Cardinals, signaling a serious financial crisis. As per sources from the Sports Business Journal, failure to secure a deal with DAZN by January could lead to the company’s downfall.
Should the transaction not move forward, it is probable that Main Street will cease operations by the end of the current NBA and NHL seasons. The company manages RSNs for 30 franchises in these leagues along with Major League Baseball (MLB).
It has been 14 months since the FanDuel brand was associated with these networks. This was part of a marketing deal where the sportsbook operator purchased naming rights; the financial issues facing Main Street are not connected to its parent company, Flutter Entertainment (NYSE: FLUT).
Financial Struggles of FanDuel RSNs
Main Street Sports Group was previously known as Diamond Sports Group, which underwent Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. During the bankruptcy, FanDuel contributed a substantial rights fee to the media enterprise, potentially acquiring up to 5% of the broadcaster’s equity in return.
FanDuel succeeded regional casino operator Bally’s as the gaming sponsor of the networks. In 2020, Bally’s committed to a $85 million deal over ten years for branding on the RSNs. The partnership with FanDuel was perceived as more advantageous for Main Street due to the sportsbook’s notable brand recognition and market presence.
Main Street recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the Sports Business Journal, the likelihood of the company pursuing bankruptcy again is minimal, even if the DAZN sale falls through. In that case, the owner of the RSNs would terminate its NBA and NHL partnerships.
The sale to DAZN is currently stalled as the seller is not meeting specific performance metrics set by the prospective buyer, which is critical because DAZN has demonstrated success with direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports streaming in various major international markets.
NBA Considerations
If Main Street can finalize the sale to DAZN, there is still concern that 13 FanDuel RSNs might face blackout before the end of the season. The league is reportedly devising a contingency plan that might lead to the establishment of a centralized network to localize certain broadcasts, thereby guaranteeing consistent rights payments for franchises.
According to the Sports Business Journal, 28 out of 30 teams in the league would likely support this initiative, with only the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks likely to dissent due to their lucrative local rights agreements—$192.1 million for the Lakers and $106.56 million for the Knicks.