By Hoss Martin - HossMartin.com
June 1, 2026
The scaling down of FanDuel Sports Network, perhaps the most recognizable Regional Sports Network (RSN) brand in the United States, should be viewed as an epochal moment in American sports broadcasting history. During my lifetime, sports broadcasting has undergone tremendous changes, especially during the past decade.
My parents introduced me to the world of sports at a very young age. My father provided the lion’s share of that exposure through high school and college basketball games throughout Northwest Ohio and countless sporting events that shaped my childhood. One of my earliest memories was our family’s tug-of-war during Super Bowl X. My mother and I rooted for the Dallas Cowboys while my father cheered for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those experiences unfolded against the backdrop of America’s Bicentennial and helped cultivate a lifelong passion for sports.
As a child in the 1970s, televised games were events. The limited number of broadcasts available made every game feel special. One of my earliest sports memories involved meeting my father’s friend and former Melrose High School teammate, Robert “Bingo” Smith, before a Cleveland Cavaliers game. Now, my dad called him “Bobby” and told me to reach and shake his hand. I do not recall whether or not my hand shook one or two of his fingers, but I do vividly remember looking high in the air. Looking up at the towering Cavaliers forward, complete with his reddish-brown afro, left quite an impression on a young boy.
Years later, I met Isiah Thomas during a poster-signing appearance at a sporting goods store in the Toledo area. Although I wanted to tell him that I already owned one of the posters hanging on my bedroom wall, I was too starstruck to find the words. My most memorable interaction with a professional athlete, however, came during my college years when I briefly spoke with Chris Spielman at Bowling Green State University. Wearing a Detroit Lions cap probably made the conversation easier.
Growing up in Northwest Ohio, sports viewing options were limited. Our television choices consisted primarily of network affiliates and independent stations from Toledo, Detroit, and Windsor that could be received through rooftop antennas or cable systems. Everything changed in 1979 with the arrival of ESPN. To this day, I jokingly blame ESPN for some of my less-than-stellar academic performances during grammar school.
In its early years, ESPN aired almost any sporting event it could find. My interests, however, remained focused on local and regional teams such as the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan.
That passion led my parents to take me to two Detroit Pistons games at the Pontiac Silverdome within three days during November 1981. Tickets in lower-level sections cost only eight or nine dollars. Home games were rarely televised locally, so if you wanted to watch marquee opponents such as the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers, you attended in person.
It was around this time that my dad had some friends and associates he befriended who were very open to him helping purchase drinking glasses for their “adult establishment.” During the summer months and his days off, I would watch him load cases of glasses into the family’s Lincoln Continental and drive over to one of the most intriguing places in Toledo called The 5th Quarter. As soon as we entered the building, a jukebox boomed with the intro to Teddy Pendergrass’ Love T.K.O. as one of the proprietors welcomed my father and said, “Hey, young fella! How would you like a Mickey Mouse?” I had no earthly idea what a Mickey Mouse drink was, but I knew I wanted to get my hands on one. I looked at my father, and he nodded his head in approval. So, the sugary fruit juice was made with cherries and an orange on top of the glass. While the drinking glasses were being unloaded, I was allowed to sit at a table right in front of a poster of Bob McAdoo in a Buffalo Braves uniform, one of many posters of athletes from the seventies and early eighties that played for teams that I did not know they were ever a part of.
Back then, sports fans often learned the outcome of major events after they happened. NBA Finals games frequently aired on tape delay. As a young child, there was no way I could stay awake long enough to watch the Seattle SuperSonics win the 1979 NBA championship after the local news. Fortunately, Detroit’s WKBD-TV 50 provided access to many live broadcasts that became essential viewing for sports fans throughout the region.
As cable television expanded during the 1980s, networks such as TBS, TNT, and ESPN dramatically increased sports programming options. While the major broadcast networks still dominated ratings, sports fans enjoyed more opportunities than ever before to watch games live. The widespread adoption of VCRs also allowed viewers to record broadcasts and watch them later, a convenience that felt revolutionary at the time.
A significant shift occurred in 1996 when FOX Sports Net launched its regional sports network model across the country. For local sports fans, it was revolutionary. Suddenly, viewers could watch far more games involving their favorite teams than traditional broadcast stations could ever accommodate. As long as I paid my cable bill, I had access to more Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars games than I could ever consume.
Unfortunately, the winds of change eventually caught up with the cable and satellite industries. Following the 2008 financial crisis, many Americans sought ways to reduce household expenses. Cable bills became increasingly difficult to justify, particularly for households that rarely watched sports. Meanwhile, streaming services offered alternative entertainment options at lower costs.
By the mid-2010s, the economics supporting the RSN model had begun to weaken. Sports leagues and franchises continued seeking higher rights fees while consumers increasingly rejected rising subscription costs. The result was a growing disconnect between what networks needed to charge and what fans were willing to pay.
These challenges ultimately led to the sale of FOX Sports Networks to The Walt Disney Company. Federal regulators required Disney to divest the RSNs, and by 2019 the networks were sold and rebranded as Bally Sports.
In 2022, I was offered a position with Bally Sports. As a lifelong sports fan, I expected excitement from friends and family. Instead, I encountered a surprising amount of indifference. Some people had never heard of Bally Sports. Others confused the logo with a fitness company.
Once inside the organization, however, I gained tremendous respect for the professionals who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. The complexity involved in sports broadcasting is often invisible to viewers. Teams were responsible for managing blackout restrictions, geographic rights agreements, league requirements, and digital distribution systems that varied by sport and market. While fans often expressed frustration with blackouts, I witnessed dedicated professionals doing their best to navigate a difficult system.
Only a few months after I joined the company, rumors of financial distress began circulating. By early 2023, management acknowledged that portions of those reports were accurate while encouraging employees to remain focused as negotiations with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League continued.
The uncertainty lingered for nearly two years. Eventually, the company emerged from bankruptcy and rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network in 2025. Those of us who remained felt encouraged by the organization’s resilience and determination to survive despite mounting challenges.
Unfortunately, the underlying business realities continued to deteriorate. Carriage disputes persisted. Rights fees remained expensive. Consumer viewing habits continued shifting toward streaming platforms. By late 2025, new rumors surfaced regarding potential acquisitions and missed rights payments. Although management worked diligently to maintain stability and transparency, the atmosphere became increasingly difficult.
As Major League Baseball moved toward controlling broadcasts for many former FanDuel Sports Network franchises, and as NBA and NHL relationships evolved, the future became clearer. When employees were informed in April 2026 that there did not appear to be a viable path forward, few were surprised.
What I remember most from those final days is not disappointment but gratitude. My colleagues and I exchanged hugs and handshakes as the last live broadcasts concluded. On May 14, 2026, I gathered my belongings and reflected on the privilege of working alongside exceptional managers, supervisors, and coworkers who consistently demonstrated professionalism under extraordinary pressure.
The rise and decline of regional sports networks offer important lessons about the future of sports broadcasting. The traditional RSN model depended upon economic assumptions that ultimately became unsustainable. As costs increased, the focus shifted from serving fans to maximizing revenue. Meanwhile, many sports fans faced the realities of rising household expenses and competing financial priorities.
The average fan simply wants affordable access to the teams they love. Asking consumers to pay ever-increasing fees to watch games becomes increasingly difficult when many are working multiple jobs and balancing family responsibilities.
If there is a silver lining, it may be that the industry’s current transformation creates an opportunity to rethink how local sports are delivered. New distribution models that prioritize accessibility, flexibility, and affordability could help reconnect teams with fans who have been priced out or left behind by the traditional system. Whether through direct-to-consumer streaming, league-operated platforms, or yet-to-be-developed innovations, the long-term success of sports broadcasting will depend on meeting fans where they are.
Regional sports networks played an important role in connecting generations of fans to their favorite teams. I know they certainly did for me. Yet every era eventually gives way to another. As sports broadcasting enters its next chapter, I hope decision-makers remember the people who made the industry possible in the first place: the fans.
Selah.