NHL launches centralized production hub following FanDuel Sports Network closure

The NHL is shifting from a passive rights-licensing model to a vertically integrated production house to stabilize local reach as RSNs collapse. By centralizing high-end technical infrastructure—including robotic cameras and NHL EDGE data integration—the league reduces the overhead risk for individual clubs and prepares for a post-cable distribution landscape. This move mirrors MLB’s successful local media division and pressures the NBA to accelerate its own centralized streaming plans. The immediate result is a decoupling of production from distribution, allowing teams to negotiate independently with OTA and DTC partners. Watch for whether the Anaheim Ducks join the hub after their recent termination of the Victory+ streaming agreement.

The collapse of the regional sports network (RSN) model reached a terminal phase in early 2026. Per Sports Media Watch and SBJ (July 2026), Main Street Sports Group, which operated the FanDuel Sports Networks, informed the NHL and NBA in April 2026 that it would cease all operations following the conclusion of their respective 2025-26 seasons. This followed the departure of nine MLB teams from the group earlier in the year due to missed rights payments. According to SBJ (April 2026), NBA teams faced an estimated $180 million shortfall due to these defaults, prompting leagues to take direct control of their local media assets.

Major League Baseball has set the precedent for this transition. Per MLB.com (March 2026), the league's local media division now produces and distributes games for 14 clubs, including the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. MLB's model offers fans a direct-to-consumer streaming option bundled with traditional linear carriage. Similarly, the NBA is moving toward a centralized solution; per Barrett Media and SBJ (July 2026), Commissioner Adam Silver has targeted the 2027-28 season for the launch of a national streaming hub for local games, with YouTube emerging as a primary candidate to host the service for up to 22 teams.

Individual teams are finding the transition to new platforms volatile. On July 15, 2026, the Anaheim Ducks and MLB's Texas Rangers informed the free streaming service Victory+ that they would terminate their agreements effective immediately. Per SBJ, Victory+—owned by A Parent Media Co.—had reportedly missed rights payments and struggled to secure additional financing. While the Rangers immediately shifted to a new DTC platform called BZZR, the Ducks' pivot toward the NHL’s new centralized production hub signals a growing trend of teams seeking the safety of league-backed infrastructure over independent third-party streamers.