Major sports TV network shutting down, leaving fans scrambling | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

I have cable only because we share the household with my in-laws, and it is a solid package that also includes internet services. However, we never connected the cable to our TV upstairs. Why?

We didn’t need it to, since we use Netflix, YouTube, and other platforms to access the content we need. I admit that occasionally, I wish we had gone through the hassle of attaching cable, as we miss out on some cool programming. For example, we can’t access the Winter Olympic Games through the platforms we have.

Each streamer focuses on a different kind of offering. For example, YouTube TV boasts a number of live TV and sports channels, while Netflix is popular due to its massive library of movies, TV shows, and original content.

Due to this variety of offerings between providers, many households subscribe to several services simultaneously, while others switch between platforms seasonally.

The latest cord-cutting data reveal the following.

Cable’s decline: Only 30% of Americans still use traditional cable or satellite.
Gen Z exodus: Usage drops to just 21% among Gen Z viewers.
Streaming costs drive cancellations:64% of cord-cutters canceled a service or switched to a cheaper ad-supported plan this past year due to high prices.
No looking back: Only 5% of cord-cutters regret leaving cable. Source: All About Cookies

New viewer trends have dire consequences for some cable companies and networks, and the latest one to feel the harsh impact is FanDuel Sports Network (previously known as Bally Sports).

FanDuel Sports Network (Bally Sports) is shutting down this spring.

viewimage/Shutterstock&period;com

FanDuel Sports Network (Bally Sports) is shutting down this spring

After months of speculation, FanDuel Sports Network confirmed it will cease operations this spring, reported Cord Cutters News.

The network’s parent company, Main Street Sports Group, has failed to secure a buyer or additional financing, resulting in the shutdown of the traditional regional sports network (RSN) model.

The RSN model was already troubled due to changing viewer behavior, cord-cutting trends, declining viewership, and unsustainable financial structure, according to Puck News.

The network will officially shut down in mid-April 2026, after the NBA and NHL regular seasons end.

Team-by-team breakdown

The impact varies depending on which sport you follow.

MLB (Baseball): All nine teams have officially left the network for the 2026 season. League takeover: The Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Royals, Cardinals, and Reds are moving their broadcasts to MLB Media (the league’s own production team).
Going independent: The Atlanta Braves will launch an independent network.

Uncertain: The Angels and Tigers are still finalizing their new homes, likely involving MLB oversight.
NBA & NHL (Basketball & Hockey): The network will stay on the air through mid-April 2026 to finish the current regular seasons for 13 NBA teams and 7 NHL teams. Source: Cord Cutters News

What the FanDuel Sports Network shutdown means for sports fans

Sports fans following the above-mentioned leagues will need to find a new way to watch their local teams, either through teams’ own apps or local broadcast channels.

Rumors of the closure began circulating a while ago, and sports fans took the idea to Reddit. A number of sports fans joined several threads to share their concern about the collapse of the network and its impact on fans, especially in terms of cost and access to local games.

“However, with FanDuel likely going bust and leaving the Tigers, Wings, and Pistons without an RSN I am very worried this will just end up costing fans even more money to watch their favorite teams,” wrote user Don-SalC.

More Entertainment:

Others were quick to deduce that this shutdown could mark the death of the RSN model.

“As much as I hate sports gambling, I think people celebrating the RSN collapse are being really short sighted here. RSNs themselves contributed a substantial amount of revenue to MLB teams for years stretching back to the 90s and early 2000s; with these disappearing and being replaced with subscription services, it’ll represent a pretty big drop in revenue for especially smaller market teams, which is a massive problem for both the ability of these teams to pay for good players, and if you care about competitive balance,” pointed out user Joementum2004.

The end of the RSN model era is huge for the sports industry. While the transition might be a win for fan accessibility, it could result in financial struggles for teams.

Under the older RSN model, teams were granted huge guaranteed annual rights fees, while under the MLB Media umbrella, teams obtain variable payments based on actual streaming and advertising revenue.

“Industry experts estimate that teams may initially see as little as 50% of their former RSN revenue, which could have ripple effects on future player payrolls,” writes NGSC Sports.

Why isFanDuel Sports Network shutting down?

In simple terms, FanDuel Sports Network is shutting down largely due to the growing cord-cutting trend, making it harder for traditional sports channels to make enough money to survive.

The network’s parent company, Main Street Sports Group, was previously in talks to be acquired by the streaming giant DAZN. However, reports suggest that the deal fell through, dashing the company’s last hopes for a lifeline.

The network has struggled for years, as it emerged from bankruptcy in early 2025, but rising number of cord-cutters resulted in fewer monthly cable fees. In late December, Main Street Sports missed a payment to the Cardinals and its last chance for survival was a sale to DAZN.

“More missed payments have followed,” reported ESPN.