Uncertainty is growing around FanDuel Sports Network after it reportedly missed January payments to several NBA teams. The network serves as a regional broadcast partner for as many as 13 franchises, making the issue hard to ignore as teams rely heavily on local media revenue.

The concern deepens despite FanDuel recently renewing deals with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Those agreements were meant to ensure stable local broadcasts. With questions surrounding a potential sale to DAZN, a problem that first hit MLB has now begun spilling into the NBA.

What is FanDuel Sports Network, and how did the NBA partnership start?

FanDuel Sports Network is a regional sports network, and its partnership with the NBA started way back in 2014. They became the NBA’s official sports game operator. The partnership later expanded to include FanDuel as the league’s official betting partners while also allowing them to integrate NBA assets in their fantasy and betting platforms.

The entire partnership was to create more exciting game formats and collaborate on new experiences in daily fantasy and online betting to further enhance the fan experience.

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The NBA became the first major professional sports league to partner with FanDuel and offered the first official daily fantasy basketball game of the NBA on NBA.com and FanDuel.com. In 2017, the partnership also extended to the WNBA, and they became the first women’s sports league to collaborate with FanDuel, allowing the platform access to WNBA assets and highlights.

How much do NBA teams get paid by FanDuel Sports Network?

Apparently, there’s no guarantee that the FanDuel Sports Network will have the money to broadcast games for the entirety of the ongoing season. This means the 13 teams, in partnership with FDSN, need a contingency plan midway through the season.

“The league has the capacity to put them on, to stream them, and all the teams are certainly equipped to go over-the-air to do it,” said one team source to the Sports Business Journal. “But now the revenue gets crushed. Hopefully, a lot of people have already gotten paid at least 30 to 50% of this year’s revenue. But you’ll never get the rest of that money back, you’ll never recoup the money.’’

Main Street Sport Group’s 2025-26 NBA Rights Fee Payments:

• Atlanta Hawks: $32M*
• Charlotte Hornets: $16.57M
• Cleveland Cavaliers: $34M*
• Detroit Pistons: $25.78M
• Indiana Pacers: $17.47M
• Los Angeles Clippers: $34.59M
• Memphis Grizzlies: $11.41M
• Miami Heat: $55M*
• Milwaukee Bucks: $24M*
• Minnesota Timberwolves: $24.88M
• Oklahoma City Thunder: $16.67M
• Orlando Magic: $26.19M
• San Antonio Spurs: $19.92M

What happened to payments? Why has FanDuel been missing checks?

Following the delay of the January payments, the NBA clubs can send a default notice to Main Street, beginning a 15-day cure period. Main Street could issue payments by that time to avoid a breach of contract with the teams, which looks extremely bleak.

All of this news comes after Main Street is in conversation with London-based streaming giant DAZN over a sale. However, as per SBJ, if things don’t fall into place, then Main Street will be forced to shut shop following this season’s NBA and NHL campaigns.

At this point, Main Street Sports, the parent company of FanDuel are facing a massive financial crunch, and hence they have not able to pay the NBA teams.

 What does this mean for NBA teams and fans?

As per sources, the NBA is preparing for the worst scenario as they are readying themselves to take over production duties and distribution of local broadcasts for those 13 teams in question.

A sale to DAZN would not be that smooth sailing for the NBA teams, as it would ensure no interruption to any local broadcasts, maintaining the consumer side of things. However, apparently, it would mean that teams would have to accept much lower payments than they were getting from FanDuel. It may also force some teams to explore other options outside of DAZN.

However, there’s a catch: if more than 10 teams out of the 29 teams currently contracted with Main Street Sports across the NBA, NHL, and MLB pull out, then DAZN is expected to walk away from the deal entirely.