Main Street Sports Group, the company that owns FanDuel Sports Kansas City and eight other regional sports networks that broadcast games for MLB teams is in serious financial trouble, according to reporting by Evan Dreilich and Katie Woo at The Athletic, which could impact up to nine MLB teams. They report the company is trying to negotiate new fees with clubs after losing $200 million last year, and that the company missed a payment to the St. Louis Cardinals last month.
In addition to the Royals,
Main Street operates sports channels that broadcast games for the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays. Last winter, the company emerged from a 20-month bankruptcy process, but MLB expressed skepticism about their financial plan going forward. British-based sports streamer DAZN is in talks to purchase a majority stake in Main Street Sports, which could save the beleaguered company. But until that is resolved, teams remain in limbo regarding their expected revenues.
“You don’t know what your income is,” said one MLB general manager who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about Main Street’s renegotiation efforts. “It does make a difference.”
Last fall, the Royals announced they were exercising their option with FanDuel Sports Kansas City for the 2026 season. The amount of revenue the team expected to receive under that deal remains unknown, but previous reporting indicated the Cardinals received a 20 percent cut in TV revenues from the previous deal. If Main Street is unable to carry games, the rights will revert to MLB, which already distributed games for the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres last season and will carry games for the Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, and likely Washington Nationals this season. But unlike RSNs, MLB does not pay a flat fee to teams, instead allowing them to collect revenues from the broadcast of games, usually a much lower number. For those teams, games are typically available through cable and satellite providers, as well as a direct-to-consumer streaming platform similar to the one FanDuel Sports Kansas City made available to fans. For example, the Guardians will have “Guardians TV”, available for direct streaming at $19.99 per month.
In 2027, ESPN is expected to take over broadcasting control over teams MLB currently owns the rights to, although it remains to be seen how the Worldwide Leader in Sports plans to distribute broadcasts. There are reports MLB is planning on bundling the TV rights to teams for streaming companies to bid on for 2028.
Looming over all this TV revenue certainty is the end of the collective bargaining agreement, with many predicting some sort of work stoppage after this season. With the TV landscape radically changed with lower revenues, many owners will look to slow down the growth of player salaries, likely through a salary cap.
One way or another, Royals games will be televised. But the financial uncertainty and labor strife is likely to have a major impact on how teams operate this season.
