Bally Sports is being rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Bally Sports is getting a new name but not new owners.

The collection of regional sports networks, which is owned by Diamond Sports Group, will be known as FanDuel Sports Network starting on Oct. 21. Terms of the naming rights deal were not disclosed.

“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,” said Diamond CEO David Preschlack in a press release. “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.”

FanDuel President Mike Raffensperger added, “Partnering with Diamond provides us an opportunity to put the FanDuel brand at the intersection of the nation’s largest group of regional sports networks.”

In Northeast Ohio, Diamond operates Bally Sports Ohio, the television home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Bally Sports Great Lakes, which had broadcast Cleveland Guardians games for many years but will no longer next season. The networks will be rebranded FanDuel Sports Network Ohio and FanDuel Sports Network Great Lakes, respectively.

Bally Sports purchased the naming rights in 2020 when the networks carried the Fox Sports moniker. The name change was precipitated by a change in ownership. Disney acquired the RSNs from Fox in 2019 only for the Department of Justice to order the company to divest the networks, citing antitrust concerns as Disney already owned ESPN. Sinclair Broadcast Group scooped them up for $9.6 billion.

Bally’s naming rights were supposed to last 10 years but Sinclair subsidiary Diamond, which has been under bankruptcy protection since March 2023, opted to terminate the agreement as part of a broader reorganization.

This season, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio will broadcast all non-nationally exclusive Cavaliers games on most Northeast Ohio cable systems, select live TV streaming platforms and its direct-to-consumer product FanDuel TV+.

Last week, Major League Baseball announced it will produce and distribute local Guardians broadcasts for at least the 2025 season.