Last month, we learned that Fubo made an offer for broadcast rights to the 13 NBA teams that left Main Street Sports Group, parent company of FanDuel Sports Networks. Today, Fubo has withdrawn that offer, according to a report from Sports Business Journal.
The Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic and Spurs are looking for a short-term deal for the 2026-27 season as Main Street Sports Group plans to shut down after the NBA regular season and the first round of the NHL playoffs.
The NBA has plans to launch a streaming platform for local broadcasts by the 2027-28 season, leaving the teams without a home in the gap year.
SBJ notes that Fubo was offering the teams between $8 million and $20 million for the season, more than competitors were offering, and ultimately decided that the deals wouldn’t make financial sense for the platform with the NBA’s streaming platform on the horizon for the following season.
With Fubo’s offer off the table, the 13 teams are back to back to the drawing board for distribution in the 2026-27 season.
DAZN has reportedly made offers of between $8 million and $15 million and Victory+ is working on funding. Teams may also opt to put games on over-the-air stations.
The Pistons announced this week that that’s the route they’ll be taking, announcing a new local media television rights agreement with Scripps Sports for next season. With the deal, TV20 Detroit will air local games for free over-the-air, and through cable and satellite providers. Team owner Tom Gores said in a statement that the move was for the fans, eliminating the need for a paid service to watch the team locally.