DAZN in ‘advanced talks’ to acquire Main Street Sports Group

A major deal in the sports media space could soon be taking place, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that DAZN is in “advanced talks” to acquire Main Street Sports Group.

While the exact terms of the deal are currently unclear, the conversation is currently focused on DAZN making a “sizable cash investment” in Main Street Sports Group with plans to integrate their two live platforms.

“Any deal would allow DAZN to integrate Main Street Sports’ direct-to-consumer offering into its existing app and streaming product, and the two could collaborate on programming, people familiar with the matter said,” WSJ reports.

Such a deal would be significant for many U.S. sports fans, as Main Street Sports Group possesses the largest collection of RSNs in the United States. The company — which was formerly known as Diamond Sports Group and rebranded after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — operates the FanDuel Sports Network, laying claim to several local rights across the NBA, NHL and MLB.

Main Street Sports Group also made headlines earlier this year when it hired former ESPN executive Norby Williamson to a senior role overseeing the production of its RSNs. On the business side, WSJ notes that Main Street came out of bankruptcy with a much lighter debt load and has struck partnerships with Amazon and FanDuel since its rebrand.

Meanwhile, DAZN possesses the rights to several major overseas events and has found a strong footing in international markets such as Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain. Acquiring such local rights could potentially help the British streamer increase its presence in the United States, where it primarily airs boxing and MMA and served as the exclusive global partner for the FIFA Club World Cup.

As for the timing of a potential deal, WSJ reports that it could be announced as early as January so long as negotiations don’t hit any potential snags.