Bally Sports Indiana To Become FanDuel Sports Network Indiana On Oct. 21 | What Fans Need To Know
For the second time in nearly four years, the longtime television home of the Indiana Pacers is undergoing a rebrand.
Diamond Sports Group, the parent company to Bally Sports Indiana, reached agreement with FanDuel on a long-term deal that includes the naming rights to 16 Regional Sports Network (RSN).
So on Monday, October 21, two days before opening night for the Pacers in Detroit, Bally Sports Indiana officially becomes FanDuel Sports Network Indiana.
While this is happening, Diamond Sports Group is working to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy court . Bringing FanDuel on board as an equity partner provides additional cash and resources when they need it.
“Collaborating with FanDuel provides a tremendous pathway for Diamond to elevate the fan experience and deepen the incremental value we provide for our team, league and distribution partners,” David Preschlack , CEO of Diamond Sports, said in a statement.
“This partnership reinforces opportunities to further strengthen the close connection our RSNs have with local fans, including enhancing our DTC offering for a growing digital audience. In the meantime, having finalized agreements with the NBA, NHL and our key distributors, we remain focused on moving our business forward and driving value for our team partners and our stakeholders.”
Some teams have chosen to go away from the RSN model. Instead, they are airing on over-the-top channels (like your local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliate) while also being available locally on an app.
Five teams are exclusively airing all their games that way: Dallas, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, and Utah.
It’s not an easy decision to make because for teams, their local TV deal is a huge revenue source and it’s been negatively impacted over the last few years.
Some teams have reimagined the fan experience and looked at it as a marketing opportunity to increase reach and remove a barrier so that more fans follow the team and watch games. That’s especially important in today’s climate where kids often follow the team exclusively on social media and YouTube clips.
For now, however, RSNs remain the primary distribution model for teams in the NBA, MLB, and NHL.
- This is NOT a new network. It’s simply a new naming rights partner. So if you didn’t get Bally Sports Indiana, you still won’t.
- The network will air 76 of the 80 games, per league source. The four games on TNT are network exclusives.
- The announcers are employed by the team and remain the same: Chris Denari , Quinn Buckner , and Jeremiah Johnson .
- It is available on Comcast, DirecTV, Spectrum, and Fubo. New for Comcast customers: it’s available on the Ultimate Tier.
- No, it’s still not available on YouTube TV or Hulu + Live Tv.
- Bally Sports+ is the streaming option for locals — for $19.99/month or $124.99 for a Season Pass.
- Pacers games on NBA League Pass are blacked out in central Indiana, unofficially within ~75 miles of Indianapolis.
Scott Agness is in his 12th season as a beat writer covering the Indiana Pacers. Click here to read more of his work at FieldhouseFiles.com .
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