Main Street Sports Embroiled in Dispute with Comcast and Charter

Main Street Sports, a company that once owned a portfolio of regional sports networks, has filed separate lawsuits against Comcast and Charter Communications, two of the largest pay TV providers in the U.S. The lawsuits claim that the companies underpaid licensing fees for Main Street’s networks even when they were still airing live games in local markets.

Main Street Sports has been in the process of winding down its regional sports networks after the end of the NHL and NBA seasons earlier this year. The company, which originated as Fox Sports networks, has undergone several ownership changes and name changes since 2019. It emerged from bankruptcy protection in early 2025, when its channels took on the name of FanDuel Sports Network.

Main Street’s channels aired games for about 30 teams across Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association. However, despite touting subscriber growth as recently as the spring, Main Street continued to face liquidity issues when its MLB fees payments were due. The company had long been weighed down by a heavy debt load.

The issues led to Main Street’s inevitable winddown. While it aired its final local MLB games in 2025, the company aired the entirety of the NBA regular season, as well as the NHL regular season and first round of playoffs this year.

Problems have been piling up for regional sports networks as the pay TV bundle continues to bleed subscribers. Regional sports networks were once a lucrative business model for teams and leagues, as the channels pay high fees to air local games that trickle down to team payrolls. However, the proliferation of cord cutting has led many pay TV distributors to rework their agreements with these channels.

Even the direct-to-consumer streaming offerings for these networks have been in a state of change. Last month, two of New York’s independently owned regional sports networks left their own streaming app for a deal to be distributed by streaming platform DAZN.

Main Street’s lawsuits against Comcast and Charter claim that the companies breached their contracts and underpaid the company in the earlier part of 2026 when its networks were still delivering NBA and NHL games to local markets across the country. The suits were filed in Delaware Superior Court on Monday, but representatives for Comcast and Charter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Regional sports networks have been struggling to adapt to the changing media landscape. With the rise of cord cutting and the proliferation of streaming services, many pay TV distributors are reworking their agreements with these channels. The future of regional sports networks remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the industry is undergoing a significant transformation.

Key Statistics:

• Main Street Sports had about 15 channels.
• Main Street’s channels aired games for about 30 teams across Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association.
• Main Street continued to face liquidity issues when its MLB fees payments were due.