Main Street Sports Group has failed to make its January rights fee payments to multiple NBA teams, sources familiar with the matter told the Sports Business Journal on Monday, as the company’s ongoing potential sale to DAZN raises concerns about its future.
The issue, which first emerged in Major League Baseball last month, now appears to be affecting professional basketball. The missed payments follow a December delay to the St. Louis Cardinals, which prompted the NBA league office to notify all 13 FanDuel Sports Network partner teams on December 18 that January payments could be at risk.
According to the report, that warning proved accurate, with several, if not all, of the teams—including the Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic, and Spurs—not receiving their scheduled fees.
Sources told SBJ Main Street has likely received default notices from Proskauer Rose, the league’s primary law firm, which would trigger a 15-day cure period once formally delivered. In the meantime, the company continues to produce this month’s games for the 13 NBA franchises on the FanDuel Sports Networks.
Financially, Main Street reportedly still owes roughly $180 million to the teams for this season, with SBJ citing the stalled DAZN acquisition as the key obstacle preventing payment. The sale is said to be contingent on factors outside Main Street’s control. With DAZN potentially seeking to acquire all of the teams’ digital rights while negotiating lower rights fee payouts.
Should the DAZN deal collapse, sources told SBJ Main Street plans to wind down operations at the conclusion of the NBA and NHL seasons. Executives reportedly aim to avoid disruptions to broadcasts in the interim. If the acquisition closes, day-to-day operations may remain largely unchanged, aside from a rebranding under DAZN’s name.
Contract expirations also loom. Three of the affected teams—the Grizzlies, Hornets, and Magic—have deals ending this season. Other team deals extend through 2027. That timing fuels speculation that the NBA could launch a national streaming regional sports network as early as the 2027-28 season.
Industry insiders said the league has been cautious in assessing DAZN’s capacity. “It was a serious call with the league back on Dec. 18,” one source told SBJ. “DAZN’s investment was kind of poo-pooed, not as a big thing. They only have about 500,000 U.S. subscribers, and the league isn’t convinced that acquiring rights from Main Street is a clear path forward. If Main Street shutters, the league is prepared to handle streaming and linear production itself.”
According to the reporting, the 2025-26 NBA Rights Fee estimates are as follows for Main Street Partner Teams:
- 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
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
