Type | Regional sports network group |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Broadcast area | Available in most markets (through regional affiliates) |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 720p (HDTV) |
Ownership | |
Parent | Diamond Sports Group |
Key people | Alvin Kwan (SVP, Strategy & Business Operations) |
Sister channels | Marquee Sports Network, FanDuel TV |
History | |
Launched | March 31, 2021 |
Replaced | Fox Sports Networks |
Former names | Bally Sports (2021–2024) |
Links | |
Website | fanduelsportsnetwork |
Availability | |
Streaming media | |
Service(s) | DirecTV Stream, FuboTV |
FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports) is a group of regional sports networks in the United States owned by Diamond Sports Group. The networks carry regional broadcasts of sporting events from various professional, collegiate, and high school sports teams. Through its owned-and-operated networks and several other affiliates, its programming is available to all or part of at least 33 states.
The networks were formerly known as Fox Sports Networks and operated by News Corporation for most of their existence. They were acquired by Diamond Sports from The Walt Disney Company in 2019, as Disney was required to divest them by the U.S. Department of Justice as a condition of their own acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Diamond Sports was initially established by Sinclair Broadcast Group, with additional equity funding from Allen Media Group. After the takeover, Diamond sold naming rights to the channels to casino operator in Bally's Corporation, resulting in their relaunch as Bally Sports on March 31, 2021.
In 2023, amid the impact of cord-cutting and other upheavals in the market, Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the associated reorganization process, Diamond plans to be separated from Sinclair into a standalone company. It has renegotiated contracts with a number of the teams that it broadcasts, and has also ended its contracts with several others (either via missed rights payments or a formal opt-out). In October 2024, it was announced that Diamond would end its agreement with Bally's and enter into a new agreement with online gambling company FanDuel—under which Bally Sports rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network on October 21, 2024.