Observed Signal · Feb 11, 2026 · Partnership · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
MLB Takes Over Detroit Local Broadcasts
Major League Baseball has agreed to produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Detroit Tigers starting in 2026 as their regional sports network partner faces collapse. The move is part of a first-of-its-kind deal involving Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, which owns the Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. Under the arrangement MLB will handle production and distribution for Tigers games in 2026, while the Red Wings will produce their own broadcasts in the 2026–27 season and rely on MLB’s distribution infrastructure. The teams’ games had been airing on the FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports); the network’s operator, Main Street Sports Group, is set to shut down after the current season. Ilitch CEO Ryan Gustafson framed the deal as a stability measure to keep games available via cable, satellite and streaming. MLB already plans to manage local broadcasts for more than a dozen teams, and this cross-sport model could serve as a template for other markets.
Provides an operational template for preserving local live-sports distribution after RSN failures; affects local TV/streaming inventory, rights management and distribution models across the sports media ecosystem.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Major League Baseball will produce and distribute Detroit Tigers local game broadcasts beginning in 2026.
- Ilitch Sports + Entertainment owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings and entered a broadcast partnership with MLB.
- The Detroit Red Wings will produce their own games in the 2026–27 season while using MLB’s distribution infrastructure.
- Games had aired on the FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports); operator Main Street Sports Group is set to shut down after the current season.
- MLB is already scheduled to handle local broadcasts for more than a dozen of its teams.
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Detroit SportsNet Launches Streaming Service
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings, is launching a hybrid regional sports network called Detroit SportsNet (DSN) that combines traditional cable distribution with a direct-to-consumer streaming option. The move follows the collapse of the teams’ previous FanDuel-branded regional sports network after payment defaults. DSN will carry Tigers games beginning this season and add Red Wings broadcasts for the 2026–27 season. The DTC streaming tier is priced at $19.99 per month and will be integrated into the MLB App to leverage league distribution. The launch reflects a broader trend of sports franchises internalizing broadcast rights as the legacy RSN model struggles amid cord-cutting and national broadcast-rights realignments.
MLB Takes Local Broadcasts In-House, Launches DTC Streaming
The collapse of regional sports network operator Main Street Sports Group forced Major League Baseball to take direct control of local broadcasts for nearly half of its teams. Nine clubs terminated their RSN contracts; seven have joined MLB’s in-house media arm, expanding its portfolio to 14 clubs (including the St. Louis Cardinals). MLB announced direct-to-consumer in-market streaming season packages priced at about $100 and is moving from guaranteed rights fees toward a revenue-sharing model — a shift that reportedly costs the Cardinals roughly $20 million in the short term. The crisis accelerates MLB’s multi-year plan to build a national streaming package by 2028 to eliminate local blackouts. Some teams (reported: the Angels and Braves) are exploring launching their own TV networks, and MLB is expanding distribution by placing MLB.TV on ESPN’s platforms.
Nine MLB Teams Terminate RSN Deals Amid Main Street Collapse
Nine Major League Baseball clubs terminated local broadcast contracts with Main Street Sports Group, the financially troubled operator of the FanDuel Sports Networks, after missed payments. The clubs said they ended deals to avoid being tied to a potential second bankruptcy at Main Street; reports say a possible sale to streamer DAZN has fallen through. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated the league is prepared to take over production and distribution of affected games and noted MLB already manages broadcasts for six teams. The terminations strip Main Street of core rights revenue and remove large, fixed cable payments from the teams’ budgets (reported as up to ~30% of some clubs' income), accelerating baseball’s shift away from the regional sports network model toward more centralized or national media solutions. The NBA and NHL are reported to be monitoring the situation for broader RSN impacts.
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