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    Bally Sports Detroit Becomes FanDuel Sports Network; what you need to know
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    Bally Sports Detroit Becomes FanDuel Sports Network; what you need to know

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    3 minutes, 32 seconds Read

    The parent company of the regional sports network that broadcasts Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons games has reached an agreement with FanDuel to take over the naming rights of the RSN, possibly as early as Monday.

    Diamond Sports Group, owner of the RSN stable, said in a filing in Texas bankruptcy court this week that it has reached a deal with FanDuel, the online gaming giant, as its existing contract with Bally expires. This means that, pending bankruptcy court approval, Bally Sports Detroit will soon be known as FanDuel Sports Network.

    Customers will see very little change during the transition, likely sometime next week. The channel numbers remain the same. The content remains the same. The on-air personalities remain the same. The Network remains on platforms where it was previously accessible and remains outside platforms where it was previously inaccessible. The subscription streaming app, now called Bally Sports+, will remain the same but will be rebranded under the FanDuel banner.

    This latest agreement is essentially a naming rights agreement and not a change of ownership. However, FanDuel could reportedly receive a minority stake in the reorganized company if it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. FanDuel will also have an exit from the deal if Diamond Sports does not emerge from bankruptcy.

    What customers will notice after the switch is new graphics, especially the primary color. Out will be the Bally red, in will be the FanDuel blue. There will also certainly be a stronger presence in the sports betting space, as a cross-promotion for FanDuel, the nation's leading online sportsbook, which will have to invest in advertising as part of the deal.

    In Michigan, RSN is expected to remove FanDuel logos and references during its coverage of college sports, including broadcasts of state football championship games.

    This is the third name change for the RSNs since 2019, first Fox Sports then Bally Sports. The name change comes as the NHL season is currently underway and the NBA season is about to begin.

    Diamond Sports filed for bankruptcy in 2023, citing billions of dollars in unsustainable debt, amid the cord-cutting trend and the increasing popularity of streaming – just four years after purchasing the 19 RSNs, which then covered more than 40 Major League Baseball sports. Games broadcast. Games from Disney's NHL and NBA teams.

    The RSNs now broadcast games for 22 NHL and NBA teams, many of them under renegotiated, more favorable contracts (including the Red Wings and Pistons) that were approved by a judge before the start of these seasons. Diamond Sports has committed to only broadcasting MLB's Atlanta Braves games going forward, but is expected to renegotiate with several MLB teams, including the Tigers, to negotiate reduced deals. The Tigers are believed to be receiving $50 million per year under their current TV rights deal, a significant source of revenue.

    Some MLB teams have instead decided to partner with the league itself on TV distribution for the 2025 season, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers probably won't go down that route, partly because they're tied to the Red Wings – who, like the Tigers, are owned by the Iltich family – and partly because any MLB TV deal wouldn't be as lucrative for them the team.

    MLB has the infrastructure to produce and distribute game broadcasts itself, as was the case with the San Diego Padres in 2024, while the NBA and NHL are not there yet.

    Amazon had emerged as a potential streaming partner for Diamond Sports and its RSNs, but those talks, while not quite dead, have stalled.

    The Tigers have declined to comment on their TV distribution future, although plans certainly do not include launching their own network — an idea that Tigers and Red Wings president and CEO Christopher Ilitch floated years ago which he has not discussed publicly since then. That would have been a huge financial undertaking.

    Bally Sports Detroit officials have declined to comment on the FanDuel deal and Diamond Sports' future with the Tigers. The Tigers made play-by-play man Jason Benetti an employee of the team, not the network, last offseason in case there was a separation between the team and the network.

    Diamond Sports hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of 2025.

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