Nine MLB Teams Sever Ties With Main Street Sports Group

The landscape of Major League Baseball’s local TV scene just shifted again. Nine teams have now decided to walk away from their regional sports network agreements.

This move really highlights the ongoing financial mess within the RSN model. It might even speed up MLB’s push toward controlling more of its own media distribution.

MLB Teams Cut Ties With Main Street Sports Group

Nine MLB franchises have pulled the plug on their local-media contracts with Main Street Sports Group. Main Street, which tried to reboot as FanDuel Sports after bankruptcy in early 2025, is stumbling through yet another round of financial trouble.

People close to the situation say Main Street could disappear altogether if it doesn’t find a buyer soon. By leaving now, teams keep their options open and avoid getting stuck with a partner that might not survive much longer.

Which Teams Have Opted Out?

The clubs leaving cover a bunch of markets and different levels of competitiveness. That says a lot about how widespread the worry is.

• Atlanta Braves
• Cincinnati Reds
• Detroit Tigers
• Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels
• Miami Marlins
• Milwaukee Brewers
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Tampa Bay Rays

The teams could still come back. If Main Street gets new ownership and steadies itself, some might return for the 2026 season.

MLB Steps In as a Safety Net

Commissioner Rob Manfred tried to calm fans and team owners, promising that games won’t suddenly disappear from screens. MLB says it’s ready to handle local distribution for any club that needs help.

The league has already done this before. MLB currently manages local media for six teams, and expects to add a seventh soon.

Teams Already Under MLB Control

MLB now handles broadcasting and local streaming for:

• Arizona Diamondbacks
• San Diego Padres
• Cleveland Guardians
• Colorado Rockies
• Minnesota Twins
• Seattle Mariners

The Washington Nationals will probably join that group, which would give MLB even more control over its own media.

The Financial Trade-Offs of Leaving Cable

MLB-run distribution does provide stability and access, but the money isn’t quite the same. Old-school regional sports network deals, fueled by cable subscriptions, have typically made up 20–30% of a team’s total revenue.

Now, MLB’s local-media group negotiates distribution, ads, and streaming through MLB.tv. But MLB.tv is owned by ESPN under a new rights deal, and these setups usually don’t pay as much as the cable contracts did.

Impact on Payrolls and Competitive Balance

Losing that cable money could really sting. Smaller-market teams may have trouble keeping up with payroll, while richer clubs can likely absorb the loss and keep spending, which could make the gap between teams even bigger.

How Main Street Reached This Point

Main Street Sports Group’s struggles didn’t just appear out of thin air. The company took over for Diamond Sports Group, which racked up nearly $9 billion in debt buying up regional sports networks, then filed for bankruptcy in 2023.

Main Street tried to renegotiate after bankruptcy, but missed payments and failed sale talks — including rumors about a deal with DAZN that went nowhere — have left its future looking shaky. None of its contracts with teams go past 2028, which isn’t exactly reassuring.

A Pivotal Moment for MLB Broadcasting

This latest shakeup might be the tipping point in MLB’s media evolution.

Teams now seem to care more about stability than chasing the highest short-term revenue.

The league looks more and more ready to decide how fans watch baseball locally — for better or worse.

I’ve spent thirty years covering the business of sports, and honestly, the regional sports network era just isn’t on solid ground anymore.

Major League Baseball is bracing for a future that feels nothing like its past.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Sources: 9 MLB teams end deals with Main Street