Click here to read the full article.
The streaming rights to many of New York’s sports teams are traveling.
MSG Networks and YES Network struck a new partnership that will make DAZN the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of those properties during
the 2026-2027 NBA and NHL seasons, a move that seems poised to end a digital joint venture between the two New York-focused sports entities called the Gotham Sports App, which launched in 2024.
Subscribers within the networks’ regional coverage territories will have access to live Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres games, as well as 24/7 feeds of the MSG, MSG Sportsnet, and YES networks, along with original programming. Current users of The Gotham Sports App will continue to receive uninterrupted access to content, but YES and MSG aim migrate users to DAZN during the 2026-2027 NBA and NHL seasons. Exact timing and other details tied to that process will be announced in coming months.
The shift in strategy reflects the continuing challenges faced by regional sports networks. Once dominant sports hubs in specific markets, the cable networks face subscriber erosion spurred by the rise of streaming and cord cutting, as well as new viewing behaviors tied to mobile phones and short-term video clips and highlights.
The new deal will strengthen DAZN’s lineup of programming. The company already is best known in the U.S. as a platform for combat sports and soccer. Outside the U.S., DAZN streams NFL Game Pass, NHL.TV, the NBA and NCAA college football and basketball. The deal “underscores our commitment
to expanding our footprint in the United States,” said Shay Segev, CEO, DAZN Group, in a statement.
“Our new strategic partnership with DAZN reflects the YES Network’s continued commitment to elevate
the streaming experience for our direct-to-consumer subscribers and TV Everywhere users,” said Jon Litner, president and CEO, YES Network, in a statement. “DAZN offers a world-class technology platform and elite, live sports streaming expertise, and we look forward to working with them and MSG Networks to continue to serve Yankees and Nets fans, as well as fans of the teams carried by MSG, with the most compelling sports content in the country.”
