Almost Half Of NBA Teams Are Dealing With Major Behind-The-Scenes Broadcast Issues, But The League Has A Solution

The current NBA season isn't quite at the midpoint yet, with the All-Star Break not happening until February, but that might be a good thing, as nearly half of its teams are facing some serious broadcast issues behind the scenes. The 2026 TV schedule may see a massive change early on in terms of how many fans are watching basketball games for nearly half of the NBA's teams. Broadcast carrier Main Street Sports Group is facing some issues that could affect teams, though the league is

Fo clarity, this matter doesn't involve nationally broadcast games, which will go unaffected, so we'll still get the Inside The NBA crew and Michael Jordan's thoughts on the game. That said, a vast number of teams in both the Eastern and Western conferences are in danger of losing their network, as Sports Business Journal reports that Main Street, which owns NBA carrier FanDuel Sports Network, could go belly up.

FanDuel Sports Network Is In Jeopardy Of Shuttering Mid-NBA Season

Main Street Sports Group has until the end of January to make a deal with DAZN that would make the latter the owner of the network. That agreement would ensure the Main Street maintains the broadcast rights it currently has to professional sports teams.

Should that agreement fall through, though, Main Street Sports Group would lose its broadcasting rights to all the professional sports organizations. Those dissolutions would mean the rights would go back to their respective teams. For NBA fans, that means 13 teams would be dropped from Main Street at the end of this coming season, assuming the media company makes payments totaling $180 million to the teams. Right now, FanDuel Sports is the broadcast and streaming provider for the following:

• Atlanta Hawks
• Charlotte Hornets
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Detroit Pistons
• Indiana Pacers
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Miami Heat
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• Oklahoma Thunder
• Orlando Magic
• San Antonio Spurs

As of this writing, Main Street Sports' proposed deal with DAZN is not guaranteed. On top of that, the sports company missed a December payment to the St. Louis Cardinals, an MLB team, for an undisclosed sum. It's possible that the brand could miss more payments it owes to NBA teams. If that happens, the league would grant a period of time for the company to make up for missed payments but, if that period was missed, those affected would be "on their own" and would leave FanDuel Sports Network.

What Has The NBA Proposed If Main Street Sports Group Fail To Reach A DAZN Deal And Get Shut Down?

With the recent conclusion of the NBA Cup, bolstered by all the usual weird NBA incidents that happen during the season, I'm sure no fan wants to learn they may not be able to watch their favorite team the rest of the season. Fortunately, the league has a plan in place that should give any concerned fans peace of mind.

In the worst-case scenario, the NBA confirmed it would use its own NBA League Pass or its official app to unlock coverage for all thirteen teams that would be impacted by FanDuel Sports Network's shuttering. They would also have to sign linear broadcast deals with local networks for over-the-air rights.

That aside, in any case, it would appear 2026 could bring a negotiation period for many organizations as they look for a new distributor for their team. With streaming giants increasingly hosting live events, it would be exciting to imagine watching these teams with a Netflix subscription or on Peacock or Apple TV. Not that there's any indication those parties are involved in this hypothetical scenario, but I do wonder who might make a bid for the streaming rights of all the various MLB, NHL, and NBA outfits that may need a new broadcast home in 2026.

As an Indiana Pacers fan still recovering from the epic moments of the NBA Finals last season, I'm eager to see what will come of this deal and where I'll be watching my team in the new year. Based on how this season has been thus far, it certainly won't be an issue for the playoffs, but there's always next season!