MTVG emerges from shadows with turnkey platform for NBA broadcast free agents

The MTVG Production Platform removes one of the biggest barriers for NBA teams navigating post-RSN broadcast independence: the need to build production operations from scratch. With 11 teams still unsigned and the NBA's aggregated streaming hub not expected until 2027-28, MTVG offers an interim solution that works whether teams sign with OTA stations, DAZN, Victory+, or go directly to the league. The platform's proven one-month deployment with the Angels gives teams a concrete timeline for a 2026-27 season start. Watch whether the remaining 11 teams adopt MTVG directly or route through the NBA's nascent local media department under Matt Volk — and whether MTVG becomes a production vendor for the league's 2027-28 streaming hub.

The collapse of Main Street Sports Group — formerly Diamond Sports Group — has triggered the most significant reshuffling of local sports broadcast rights in decades. Main Street officially wound down operations in April 2026 after missing rights payments to all 13 NBA and 7 NHL team partners throughout the season, per Sports Business Journal (April 2026). The company emerged from bankruptcy in January 2025 as Main Street, rebranded with a FanDuel naming deal, but lasted less than 14 months before ceasing operations entirely. ESPN reported that teams may recover as much as 60% of lost rights payments through creditor settlements.

The NBA's response has been to build local media infrastructure inside the league office. In late May 2026, the NBA hired former NESN COO Matt Volk as its first-ever GM/Local Media, per Sports Business Journal and confirmed by Awful Announcing (May 2026). Volk, who started June 22, oversees local media operations for both NBA and WNBA teams and is building a department to handle production solutions, broadcast operations, and commercial execution across team markets. Commissioner Adam Silver first publicly described the league's "aggregated solution" for local TV at the July 2025 Board of Governors meeting, per Sports Business Journal (July 2025).

Meanwhile, multiple streaming platforms are competing to house the eventual national streaming hub. DAZN acquired OTT platform ViewLift for roughly $100 million in April 2026, per Sports Business Journal and Sportico (April 2026), specifically to strengthen its U.S. infrastructure and bid for both individual team deals and the league's centralized platform. YouTube TV, Amazon, and ESPN are also in talks, per Sports Business Journal (March 2026), though YouTube TV reportedly requires at least 20 teams to join before committing. Several teams believe per-franchise rights fees from a streaming RSN could average $40 million, potentially making a 25-team package worth $1 billion or more.

In the interim, the 13 former Main Street NBA teams have been signing one-year bridge deals or contracts with one-year exit clauses, as the NBA has urged flexibility ahead of a potential 2027-28 aggregation. Two of the 13 — the Pistons and Heat — have already struck local OTA deals, with the Heat signing with Warren Buffett's Miami station, per Sports Business Journal (June 2026). The remaining 11 teams face a narrowing window to secure broadcast arrangements before the 2026-27 season begins.