FanDuel Sports Network Bringing Live NHL, NBA Games to FAST Platforms

The move of sports to streaming continues to be a trend worth watching, with the latest data point being FanDuel Sports Network’s plan to bring live games to free ad-supported streaming platforms next month.

FanDuel Sports Network, part of Main Street Sports Group, operates 15 of the former Bally Sports regional sports networks and plans to launch a 24-hour a day, seven days a week FAST channel next year. 

At first, select live games that FanDuel Sports Network produces for NBA and NHL teams will be made available in-market via platforms including Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video and Samsung TV Plus. The games will be presented in front of the paywall in sports zones and tiles on those platforms. 

The goal is to build up streaming distribution at a time when cable subscribers continue to cut the cord. FanDuel Sports Network has been selling advertising to national advertisers based on its converged linear and digital viewership.

“Launching this digital game offering is a big step in expanding our national reach and continuing to prioritize the different ways fans can watch their hometown teams,” said Eric Ratchman, Chief Revenue Officer, Main Street Sports Group. “By bringing games to free streaming platforms that reach hundreds of millions of viewers, we’re making local sports more accessible than ever and proving what our ubiquitous access model can deliver.”

The free games should also help get fans to subscribe to the regional networks’ streaming services. Early data show FDSN converting 10% of viewers from free pregame shows into paid subscribers. Additional tests are underway, reinforcing the network’s growth trajectory and innovative approach to fan engagement.

The company said that the new FAST channel will serve as a “national front door” as it rolls out programming that appears on all of its regional channels. 

FanDuel Sports Network said that so far, viewership is up for early season NHL and NBA games. 

Through the first three weeks of the NHL seasons in the seven markets where FDSN carries the local hockey team, total audience, including linear, direct-to-consumer and TV everywhere is up 29% compared to a year ago. Total minutes streamed is up 46%, unique streamers are up 47% and the TV audience is up 26%.

Through the first three nights of the NBA season with 12 of the 13 teams FDSN carries in action on the network, total audience is up 12%, with total minutes streamed up 36%, unique streamers up 56% and the TV audience up 7%.

“Fans are engaging with our coverage wherever they are, on whichever platform they choose,” said David Coletti, VP, head of research, FanDuel Sports Network. “Streaming and DTC access continue to elevate engagement, while linear remains a powerful local driver. That’s the strength of our integrated model.”

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If local broadcasters want to sell programmatically, ITN and Magnite say they have created a Local Linear TV Private Marketplace.

The arrangement will enable self-service deal ID creation, controls for geo targeting, daypart, affiliate, program and genre, auto-bidding and delivery dashboards that are similar to digital ones.

“Today's announcement has been a long time in the making,” said Jennifer Hungerbuhler, chief publisher direct officer at Dentsu. “We are now witnessing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the local TV workflow and unlock the inherent value that agencies have always seen in this medium.”

ITV and Magnite said the plan to add advanced capabilities for spot TV, direct-to-station access and more precise targeting as well as special feature for political advertising. 

“We’ve moved well beyond where previous programmatic linear efforts have stalled,” said Todd Watson, CEO of ITN. “This launch delivers the ease, visibility, and automation that will define the future of linear TV. The difference now is that activating it is just as simple as buying digital.”

Suppliers on ITN's platform includes 75 broadcast ownership groups spanning over 1,100 stations. Multiple Fox television stations have successfully tested programmatic transactions with ITN. 

“The expansion of our partnership with ITN brings programmatic buyers closer to local linear TV inventory and makes it much easier to holistically activate, manage, and measure their total video advertising investments,” added Matt McLeggon, senior VP of advanced solutions at Magnite. “Bringing valuable local linear TV inventory to ClearLine gives digital-native advertisers a more comprehensive access point to premium video supply with executional ease and efficiency.”

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According to Samba TV’s 2025 U.S. State of Streaming Report more than half of SVOD subscribers across leading platforms now choose ad-supported plans. 

Prime Video leads with ad plan adoption rates of up to 78%, followed by Hulu and Peacock at 62%. 

Among the other big streamers, 55% of Paramount Plus subscribers are getting commercials, at Disney+ and Netflix it’s 36%, while 31% of HBO Max subscribers have an ad plan.

This shift has enabled the average U.S. household to afford and manage 3.2 streaming subscriptions on average, thereby creating powerful, premium environments for advertisers across a portfolio of services, the Samba report said.