3 p.m. update Monday Jan. 13: Reds beat reporter Mark Sheldon of MLB.com says the new one-year deal with FanDuel Sports Network “should directly affect the club’s payroll and … (the) ability to make moves to improve the roster."
“The deal with FanDuel does enhance our economics slightly. Ownership does remain committed to re-investing every available dollar back into the franchise. It’s our goal to continue to give Nick (Krall) and his staff every available resource that the franchise has in 2025. Then it’s up to Nick how best to spend that,” says Doug Healy, Reds chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
Since summer, Bally Sports Networks have been rebranded as the FanDuel Sports Network, and owner Diamond Sports Group has changed its name to Main Streets Sports.
Sheldon says the Milwaukee Brewers also recently switched back from MLB to FanDuel for a one-year deal. But “ultimately in future seasons beyond 2025, the Reds could have their games produced and distributed by MLB media,” Sheldon writes.
Healy says the Reds officials “believe” that MLB is “the long-term future to enhance broadcasts for our fans and teams in the league. They will be able to distribute across multiple and different types of platforms that we believe will be a win-win for fans of Major League Baseball.”
Original post 12:48 p.m. Monday Jan. 13: Not only will the Cincinnati Reds remain on the same cable channel in 2025, but the FanDuel (formerly Bally) Sports Network will continue producing Reds TV games, too.
The Reds on Monday announced a reversal of its partnership with Major League Baseball to take over game production made in November, just before Diamond Sports Group’s regional sports networks were emerging from bankruptcy.
The team returned to FanDuel less than six weeks before the Reds' spring training opening game on Feb. 22.
FanDuel will continue to produce 30-minute pregame and postgame shows around all games, which are not exclusively televised national.
The Reds’ new agreement also gives FanDuel new expanded digital rights to distribute Reds games this season directly to consumers through streaming in the market. “Fans will now be able to stream games on the FanDuel Sports Network app by authenticating with their pay TV credentials or purchasing a DTC subscription,” according to the media release.
More information regarding direct-to-consumer subscriptions, including pricing, will be announced ahead of the upcoming 2025 season, the release says.
But other questions remain:
- Who will announce the games? There has been no word on whether John Sadak, Chris Welsh, Barry Larkin and Jeff Brantley will be retained for the telecasts.
- Will Altafiber customers get the games? Altafiber dropped the FanDuel channel in November, after the Reds ended its five-year association with Diamond Sports, depriving customers of Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Cavaliers games.
The Reds changed course and went back to FanDuel for “continuity for our fans to watch Reds games as in previous seasons, and now with a direct-to-consumer streaming product available through the FanDuel Sports Network app,” said Doug Healy, Reds chief operating officer and chief financial officer, in the media announcement.
“We are eager to continue our partnership with the Reds and look forward to collaborating with them to elevate the fan experience,” said David DeVoe, COO and CFO of Main Street Sports, which owns the FanDuel Sports Network. “With our best-in-class partnerships, cutting-edge technology and highly skilled production team, we remain committed to delivering high quality viewing options to local fans. We are confident that our recent agreements and reimagined business model position us to best serve our partners. We are appreciative of the support from both Major League Baseball and the Reds,” according to the release.
Reds President and CEO Phil Castellini said Major League Baseball was “an incredible resource for all the clubs navigating the complexities of the rapidly changing media landscape. The Reds are extremely grateful to Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball for their continued support and collaboration,” the release says.
The Reds had been associated with a 24/7 regional sports cable channel for more than 30 years as Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports Ohio and Bally Sports Ohio.
The club ended its partnership Nov. 7 by selling its stake in the FanDuel/Bally Ohio regional sports network for $1. The Reds had a 20% stake in the regional sports network, according to the Sports Business Journal. The club had a 15-year partnership in the regional network running through 2032, according to the Sports Business Journal.
MLB boasted in November that with its new direct-to-consumer streaming option, “Cincinnati’s games will be able to reach approximately 13.5 million homes across seven states in their region,” compared to the Reds reaching an average 1.1 million households on Diamond’s regional sports network.