FanDuel Sports Network is adding one more MLB team to its Rolodex for the 2025 season.
According to a report by Todd Rosiak in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Milwaukee Brewers have “opted to re-engage” in a deal with FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports) for the upcoming season. The Brewers had originally planned to allow MLB to produce and distribute the team’s games.
The FanDuel Sports Networks will now have broadcast rights to eight MLB franchises: the Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, and the Brewers. The new deal knocks MLB down to producing the local broadcasts of just six teams: the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, and Minnesota Twins.
“The media landscape is complex and evolving rapidly, but our top priority is to ensure that Brewers games are available to fans regardless of where they live and how they connect to the broadcasts,” Brewers President, Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said in a press release. “For many years, our television ratings have remained among the highest in baseball; the team has enjoyed a consistent run of success on the field and the future is promising with some of the game’s best and brightest stars calling Milwaukee home. We look forward to working with FanDuel Sports Network to deliver the best content in and around our game telecasts.”
Though financial details were not disclosed, the Brewers are likely receiving a higher media rights fee from FanDuel Sports Network than they would have from the league. However, that figure is likely lower than what the team received prior to the conclusion of Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy proceedings last year, as most teams remaining on the FanDuel networks have reduced their rights fees.
Nevertheless, the deal shows the financial might of regional sports networks, even in a declining landscape for linear television overall. As has been the case for several teams opting to remain on regional sports networks, the media revenue offered can prove far more lucrative than the over-the-air plus streaming combo that other teams have moved towards.
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