⚡ NEWS — May 23, 2026

FanDuel Sports Networks Are Done — How to Watch Your NBA / NHL Team Next Season

Main Street Sports Group (the company that ran FanDuel Sports Networks, formerly Bally Sports) confirmed to teams in late April that the RSNs go dark at the end of this NBA season and the close of NHL Round 1. 13 NBA teams and 7 NHL teams have no scheduled TV home for the 2026-27 season. Their MLB teams were already gone for 2026. Here's the team-by-team breakdown of where each one is most likely headed, and what you can do about it before tip-off.

By Rick Baron & Bear · Updated May 23, 2026 · 28 years of residential AV install · Sources: ESPN, Sportico, Cord Cutters News.

The short version

What happened: The FanDuel Sports Networks parent ran out of runway. After bankruptcy reorganization and a failed bidding cycle, the 19 RSNs are winding down. Final live game was an NHL Round 1 playoff broadcast in late April.
Who's affected: 13 NBA teams, 7 NHL teams, 9 MLB teams (MLB ones already moved for the 2026 season — most went to MLB.tv direct or local OTA).
Where they're going: Four buckets — free over-the-air TV (Phoenix Suns / Utah Jazz model), team-owned streaming, DAZN / Victory+ / Kiswe paid streaming, or a hybrid.
What you should do: Put up an antenna now if you don't have one. Hold off on any RSN-specific streaming subscription until your team's deal lands.

Why this is happening

Regional sports networks worked when cable carriage fees were the business model. Every household on Spectrum or Xfinity paid a few dollars a month toward the RSN whether they watched the team or not. Cord-cutting shredded that. By 2024 the RSN affiliate fees Diamond Sports Group collected weren't enough to pay the teams, and the bankruptcy that followed has played out over three years.

The honest installer take: this was inevitable. I install client setups every week where they're paying $180/month for cable mainly to keep one team's games, and the games still black out half the time. The cable RSN business model died years ago. The cable companies just kept billing for the corpse.

NBA — team by team

Most NBA teams are still negotiating. Below is what's known or strongly indicated as of today. Updated weekly — bookmark this page.

Team	Old FDSN feed	Likely 2026-27 home	Confidence
Atlanta Hawks	FanDuel SN Southeast	Gray Television OTA + team app expected	Medium
Charlotte Hornets	FanDuel SN Southeast	OTA-first signaled (similar to Suns / Jazz)	Medium
Cleveland Cavaliers	FanDuel SN Ohio	Gray Television OTA + Monumental-style team app	Medium
Detroit Pistons	FanDuel SN Detroit	OTA (WADL or similar) + Pistons direct streaming	Medium
Indiana Pacers	FanDuel SN Indiana	Gray Television OTA in Indiana plus team app, DAZN bidding	Medium
Memphis Grizzlies	FanDuel SN South	OTA + Grizz direct streaming (similar model)	Low-Medium
Miami Heat	FanDuel SN Sun	Multi-platform — OTA, DAZN, team app all in play	Low
Milwaukee Bucks	FanDuel SN Wisconsin	Gray TV OTA + Bucks team app (Marquee-style)	Medium
Minnesota Timberwolves	FanDuel SN North	OTA-first signaled, DAZN bidding	Medium
New Orleans Pelicans	FanDuel SN Southwest (legacy) / South	OTA + team app likely	Low-Medium
OKC Thunder	FanDuel SN Oklahoma	Griffin Media OTA + Thunder app	Medium
Orlando Magic	FanDuel SN Sun	Hearst-owned OTA + team direct	Low-Medium
Washington Wizards	Monumental SN (already moved off FDSN)	Monumental Sports Network + NBC Sports Washington feed	High (already in place)

NHL — team by team

Team	Old FDSN feed	Likely 2026-27 home	Confidence
Carolina Hurricanes	FanDuel SN Southeast	Victory+ free-streaming bid expected	Medium
Columbus Blue Jackets	FanDuel SN Ohio	OTA + Victory+ blend	Medium
Dallas Stars	FanDuel SN Southwest	Victory+ (already streaming-friendly market)	Medium-High
Florida Panthers	FanDuel SN Florida	DAZN or Scripps OTA — actively bidding	Low-Medium
Minnesota Wild	FanDuel SN North	OTA-first signaled, Victory+ in play	Medium
Nashville Predators	FanDuel SN South	OTA + Preds team app expected	Medium
Tampa Bay Lightning	FanDuel SN Sun	DAZN or Scripps OTA, team app possible	Low-Medium

What you can do right now (before next season starts)

Put up a good antenna. Free OTA is the most likely landing spot for at least half of these teams. A solid amplified indoor antenna ($30-50) or a roof-mounted one ($80-150) future-proofs you. See our free TV guide for picks by signal strength.
Drop your RSN subscription if you have one. If your cable bill has an "RSN fee" for $11-$14/mo for a network that's about to go dark, call and have it removed. Most billing reps will refund the current month.
Don't pre-pay any new streaming RSN until your team's deal lands. DAZN, Victory+, Kiswe, and ViewLift are all bidding — pricing will shake out over the summer.
Watch for team-app launches. The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz already run their own team-direct streaming apps for $50-100/year. More of these are coming.
Run our bill audit. If you've been keeping cable mostly for the RSN, this is your moment to cut. Paste your bill →

The bigger picture

Local NBA and NHL rights fees are reportedly being quoted below $10 million per year now — a structural collapse from the $50-100 million cable RSN era. That's why so many teams are pivoting to free OTA: the math finally works again. A broadcaster with even modest local ad revenue can pay $5-8M for game rights and come out ahead.

The NBA's planned league-run streaming hub for in-market games is now signaled for 2027-28, not 2026-27. That means next season is going to be messy. Some teams will land on free OTA. Some will go streaming-only. A few will end up split (Tuesday games on a local channel, Thursday games on a paid app). Plan to be flexible for one season, then the dust will settle.