Main Street Sports Group, operating under the name FanDuel Sports Network, has announced its decision to cease operations at the conclusion of the current NBA and NHL seasons. This move will free an additional 20 teams from their local media contracts, marking a significant development in the beleaguered regional sports network's history.

The company, which began 2026 with an extensive portfolio of 29 NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, has progressively lost its partners due to ongoing financial difficulties. All nine MLB teams had already shed their local media contracts before spring training. Now, 13 NBA teams will follow suit when their regular seasons conclude on April 12, and seven NHL teams will be released from their agreements at the end of the first round of the playoffs later in April.

In a statement issued to ESPN, a spokesperson for FanDuel Sports Network confirmed the agreements with the NBA and NHL to broadcast games and programming through the specified season ends. The company stated it is preparing to wind down operations unless a strategic transaction is reached, expressing gratitude for the collaborative relationships with team and league partners and the connections fostered with local fans.

Main Street Sports Group has a tumultuous past, having emerged from bankruptcy with persistent financial challenges. It was formerly known as Diamond Sports Group, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which had accumulated nearly $9 billion in debt after acquiring 21 regional channels from Fox. This led to its bankruptcy in March 2023. After 22 months marked by missed payments, intense disputes, legal battles, and a three-month period where Comcast pulled its channels off the air, the company exited bankruptcy.

By January 2, 2025, there was a glimmer of hope for sustained operations following a new naming rights deal, a robust portfolio across three leagues, and a commercial agreement with Amazon. However, this optimism was short-lived. In late December, Sports Business Journal reported that Main Street Sports had missed a payment to MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and was desperately attempting to sell its business to streaming and entertainment platform DAZN. This potential deal ultimately fell apart, followed by more missed payments, which prompted all remaining MLB teams to terminate their deals. No new investor has since emerged.

Barring an unforeseen last-minute investor, Main Street Sports Group is expected to cease operations entirely. NBA and NHL teams have reportedly not received their rights fees this year, according to Sports Business Journal, which initially broke the news of the wind-down. These teams are anticipated to be reimbursed for some of their lost payments.

The affected NBA teams whose local rights are currently held by Main Street Sports include 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. In the NHL, the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues are impacted.