Grizzlies in need of new local TV network as FanDuel Sports Network prepares to shutter
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to need a new local television home after Main Street Sports Group announced it was ceasing operations.
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to need a new local television home . Main Street Sports Group , which runs FanDuel Sports Network, has informed NBA and NHL teams that it will cease operations at the end of this season, according to multiple reports. That means the Grizzlies, who play their games on FanDuel Sports Network, will need a new TV deal.
It isn't clear where that will be. Sports Business Journal reported that the NBA wants teams to sign one-year deals so it can potentially preserve the opportunity to launch a national streaming hub with multiple NBA rights in the future. Some pro sports teams have decided to create their own streaming networks.
SBJ reported in February that the Braves could include the Grizzlies, Hawks and Predators in a new streaming network that the MLB team has since launched. The Grizzlies have not commented on their local TV plan for the future. The dissolution of Main Street Sports Group has been brewing for years, so the news shouldn't be catching the Grizzlies or any other team by surprise.
The company, which has undergone name changes and restructurings, has been mired in financial problems for years. Memphis isn't the only market that will need to find a new TV home for next season. There are 19 other NBA and NHL teams — including the Nashville Predators — that are in the same situation.