The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s an old adage, and apparently, it’s true in the world of televised sports, as well.
After years of back and forth, confusion, court proceedings, and general unrest, it appears Kings hockey will continue to air on the same channel fans have come to know and love for the past three decades.
With continued turmoil surrounding Main Street Sports — the parent company of regional sports networks branded as FanDuel Sports Network — a major change has taken place in Southern California. The local network responsible for airing Kings games has been separated from the larger group.
As we reported over a year ago, this was likely to take place, with the Angels and/or Kings ownership groups believed to be heavily involved. Essentially, the FanDuel West network (formerly known as Prime Ticket) operated somewhat independently from the larger RSN, or at least under its own umbrella.
Per a report here, FanDuel Sports Network West has been purchased and will largely continue to operate as is:
An interesting subplot to all of this is the fact the Angels have reached an agreement to continue branding the channel as FanDuel Sports Network (FDSN) West. Sports gambling is still not legal in the state of California. Attaching their brand to a national network of channels may have made sense for FanDuel when they were looking to attract potential bettors in regions that do offer legalized sports gambling. However, doing so with a channel that focusses on two Southern California teams indicates the company is still willing to play the long game, wanting to become synonymous with sports viewers in the local region for the ‘if and when’ day sports betting becomes legalized in California.
With all of that said, we still expect there are a few details to be worked out between the Kings and Angels. Typically, in a business transaction of this nature, things aren’t as simple as ‘the new owners just assume all rights and responsibilities.’ There are quite often provisions in place that allow for changes and amendments should a change in ownership occur. Thus, while the broader topic of ‘games will remain on the same channel’ appear to have been resolved, there are likely some details still being worked out.
One such topic could very well be streaming options. Again, as noted in our previous articles on this topic, the Kings have been extremely interested in finding new ways to bring streaming options to their fans. Over time, several people in leadership roles with the Kings have noted to Mayor’s Manor that it’s important to find a better balance between over the air options (i.e. traditional TV and cable) and streaming platforms. In a perfect world, Kings games would easily be available to all fans everywhere. Of course, it’s not quite that easy with various contracts existing that carve out local and national rights.
Across town, when the Ducks didn’t have a viable cable offer, they recently moved to a streaming model (where fans didn’t pay, but advertisers needed to step in and support the platform to make it profitable). Given the Kings still have at least one more year under contract with the same network they’re on, moving to an all-streaming platform doesn’t appear as a viable option just yet. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a better streaming option going forward, though. Instead, it suggests the Kings are looking for the best of both worlds — i.e. they want a robust option over the air for traditional fans, coupled with a strong streaming option for cord cutters.
In the end, one major piece of the puzzle appears to have been solved with this week’s news: The Angels have purchased FDSN and basically continue to operate it as is. What comes next on the streaming front will likely be sorted out in the months ahead, and before puck drop takes place next October.
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