The Tampa Bay Rays are among nine Major League Baseball teams that have terminated deals with FanDuel Sports Network to carry their local broadcasts, and Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB is prepared to produce and distribute the telecasts.
Financially troubled Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel networks, did not make its December payment to the St. Louis Cardinals. It also carries games of the Rays, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers.
According to the New York Times, Main Street is attempting to renegotiate what it pays to teams and quoted sources that said it lost approximately $200 million in 2025. Main Street has been in talks to sell a majority stake to DAZN, but Sports Business Journal reported those negotiations are "all but extinguished" after Main Street demanded teams take massive pay cuts.
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The Rays can still seek a new deal with Main Street, turn to MLB or seek their own arrangements with local partners. However, without the TV rights payments, the bottom line could be affected.
Time becomes a factor with the season less than three months away. The Rays open March 26 at St. Louis.
“No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games [on TV],” Manfred said Thursday in New York.
Main Street was known as Diamond Sports Group before rebranding during Chapter 11 proceedings last year. But terminating deals now, the teams can safeguard themselves in case the company files again for bankruptcy, which would limit how clubs could maneuver.
“Our focus, particularly given the point in the calendar, is to maximize the revenue that’s available to the clubs, whether that’s MLB Media or third party,” Manfred said. “The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now.
“I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously, they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”
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MLB took over broadcasts for the San Diego Padres in May 2023 after Diamond missed a payment and added the Arizona Diamondbacks that July. The Colorado Rockies joined MLB’s distribution in 2024, and the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins in 2025. The Seattle Mariners are being added this season and possibly the Washington Nationals.
Manfred said local media provides more than 20% of industry revenue.
MLB and the players’ association for 2024 allowed discretionary fund distributions of up to $15 million each to teams whose local media revenue had declined since 2022 or 2023, but they did not reach a similar agreement for 2025. “We are not providing financial assistance right now,” Manfred said.
FanDuel also broadcasts games for 13 teams in the NBA — including the Orlando Magic — and seven in the NHL. Those teams face more immediate concern because the leagues are in the middle of their seasons.
The Tampa Bay Lightning broke with FanDuel in May and signed a multiyear deal with E.W. Scripps Co. to show games on over-the-air WXPX-TV, with streaming available through a Lightning TV app for $66 a year.
The Rays do have a recent connection to over-the air broadcasts. Last season, the Rays simulcast 15 games on WTOG-TV, a CBS-owned independent station. That was in partnership with FanDuel, which is not available on every local cable service and costs about $180 annually ($20 monthly) to stream through an app.
WUSF’s Rick Mayer contributed to this report.
