Regional sports network streaming is how most US fans now watch their local NBA, NHL and MLB teams without a cable box. A regional sports network (RSN) holds the local TV rights to games that are not on national TV, and in 2026 those rights are shifting fast: FanDuel Sports Network, the biggest RSN group, wound down in spring 2026, and many teams have moved to team-run apps, MLB-run streams or free over-the-air stations. This guide explains how the system works today and what it means for your bill.
What a regional sports network actually does
National partners such as ESPN, ABC, TNT, FOX, NBC, Peacock and Prime Video carry a limited number of games each season. The rest, often 70 to 140 games per team, belong to a local broadcaster inside the team’s home territory. That local partner is the RSN.
For decades RSNs earned their money from cable bills: every subscriber in the region paid a fee whether they watched or not. As households cut the cord, that model weakened, which is why so many networks have launched direct-to-consumer (DTC) apps or handed rights back to teams and leagues.
Two rules matter for every fan:
- Territory: an RSN stream only works inside the team’s home TV region, checked by your ZIP code or device location.
- Blackouts: out-of-market packages such as NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice or MLB.TV black out your local team, because those games belong to the local partner.
What happened to FanDuel Sports Network
FanDuel Sports Network, formerly Bally Sports and run by Main Street Sports Group, carried a large share of NBA, NHL and MLB teams. After missed payments to teams in early 2026, several MLB clubs ended their contracts, and in April 2026 the company confirmed it was winding down. The last FanDuel Sports Network event aired on April 30, 2026, during the NHL playoffs.
That left teams that had relied on it looking for new homes for the 2026-27 NBA and NHL seasons. The replacements fall into three groups:
- MLB Local Media: several baseball teams moved their local games to MLB, which produces the telecasts and sells in-market streaming through MLB.TV and team-branded apps.
- Team-run networks: some clubs started or bought their own channel, such as BravesVision in Atlanta, Angels Broadcast Television in Los Angeles and Detroit SportsNet for the Tigers and Red Wings.
- Free broadcast TV plus streaming partners: several NBA teams announced over-the-air deals, for example the Pistons with Scripps on WMYD and the Heat with WPLG Local 10, and some teams are pairing local stations with a paid streaming option. Streaming companies such as DAZN have also been reported to be pursuing local NBA rights.
Deals were still being announced at the time of writing, so check your team’s official website for the final 2026-27 broadcast plan before you pay for anything.
Regional sports network streaming apps you can buy
Not every RSN collapsed. Many networks owned by teams or by NBCUniversal and Charter are still running and sell standalone streams. Prices below are approximate published rates at the time of writing and change by season.
| Network or app | Teams (examples) | How to stream | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| YES Network (Gotham Sports app) | Yankees, Nets | Gotham Sports app | Around $20/mo |
| NESN 360 | Red Sox, Bruins | NESN 360 app | Around $30/mo |
| Marquee Sports Network | Cubs | Marquee app | Around $20/mo |
| Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) | White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks | CHSN app | Around $30/mo |
| Spectrum SportsNet LA (SNLA+) | Dodgers | SNLA+ app | Around $30/mo |
| NBC Sports regional networks | Celtics, Warriors, 76ers, Kings and more | Add-on to Peacock Premium | Around $15 to $25/mo on top of Peacock |
| Detroit SportsNet | Tigers, Red Wings | Detroit SportsNet app | Around $20/mo |
| MLB Local Media team apps | Several MLB clubs | MLB.TV or team app | Around $20/mo |
Some of these networks are also carried by live TV streaming services. Fubo and DirecTV’s streaming packages tend to carry more RSNs than YouTube TV or Sling, but carriage varies by market, so always enter your ZIP code on the provider’s channel lookup.
How to figure out where your team streams
- Go to your team’s official website and look for a “How to watch” or “Broadcast schedule” page. Teams update this first.
- Note the local partner for non-national games: an RSN, a team app, MLB, or a local TV station.
- If it is a local station, check whether you can receive it with an antenna using the FCC DTV reception map.
- If it is an app, confirm your ZIP code is inside the team’s territory before subscribing.
- Check whether your live TV service already carries that channel, so you do not pay twice.
If a game is on free broadcast TV, a cheap antenna is often all you need. Our guide to the best TV antennas for local channels explains how to pick one for your distance from the towers.
What this means for your budget
The good news is flexibility: many RSN apps are month to month, so you can pay only during your team’s season. The bad news is fragmentation. A fan who follows an NBA team and an MLB team in the same city may now need two different apps, plus a live TV service or ESPN for national games.
A practical approach is to list the teams you follow, find each one’s local partner, then add the cheapest way to get the national games. If ESPN is part of that, note that ESPN announced its Unlimited plan will rise from about $29.99 to about $31.99 a month on September 17, 2026. Our guide to the cheapest way to watch ESPN breaks that down.
Some fans compare this patchwork with an all-in-one IPTV subscription. IPTV technology is legal, but only services that hold the rights to the channels they carry are legal to use, so check licensing and your local law. If you want one bill for general live TV, IPTV Journal offers a single 12-month plan for $89. For local team games, an official RSN or team app is the reliable route.
Which regional sports option should you choose?
- Your team moved to free TV: buy an antenna and skip the RSN entirely.
- Your team has its own app: subscribe for the season only and cancel in the off-season.
- You follow several local teams on one network: a network app such as NESN 360 or CHSN can be better value than separate team passes.
- You also want locals, news and national sports: compare live TV services in our guide to US options for locals, sports and DVR.
FAQ
What is regional sports network streaming?
It is watching a regional sports network, the local TV home of your NBA, NHL or MLB team, over the internet instead of through cable. You can do it with a standalone RSN or team app, or through a live TV streaming service that carries the network. Streams only work inside the team’s home territory.
Is FanDuel Sports Network still available?
No. Main Street Sports Group wound down FanDuel Sports Network in spring 2026, and its last event aired on April 30, 2026. Teams that relied on it have moved to MLB, team-run networks, local TV stations or new streaming partners.
Why is my local team blacked out on League Pass or MLB.TV?
Out-of-market packages do not include local games because those rights belong to the team’s local partner. To watch your home team, you need that local partner’s channel or app. MLB now sells in-market streams for teams it produces locally.
Can I use a VPN to get around RSN blackouts?
We do not recommend it. Using a VPN to fake your location breaks the terms of service of these apps and can get your account closed. Use the official in-market option for your team instead.
Do YouTube TV or Sling carry regional sports networks?
Their carriage of RSNs is limited and changes often. Fubo and DirecTV’s streaming packages have historically carried more of them. Check each provider’s channel lookup with your ZIP code before you subscribe.
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