Ilitch Sports + Entertainment is launching Detroit SportsNet, a new regional sports network that will carry local broadcasts of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. The move places the teams alongside a growing number of franchises building independent distribution models as the regional sports network system continues to fracture.
Detroit SportsNet will pursue carriage deals across cable, satellite, and over-the-air television while offering a direct-to-consumer streaming product priced at $19.99 per month or $189.99 annually. Tigers games will also stream through the MLB app, while production and distribution infrastructure will be handled by MLB Media.
The launch represents another franchise owner stepping away from the legacy RSN structure tied to Main Street Sports Group.
The Collapse of the Legacy RSN Structure Continues
Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel Sports Network, has steadily lost team partners as leagues and ownership groups search for more stable distribution models. The Tigers were among nine MLB clubs that cut ties with the company last month.
Ilitch’s decision accelerates a trend already underway across professional sports. Several NBA and NHL teams that still remain under Main Street Sports agreements are widely expected to reconsider their arrangements once their seasons conclude this spring.
Ownership groups increasingly prefer direct control over local media rights rather than relying on the economics of traditional RSNs, which were built around large cable bundles that are steadily shrinking.
Detroit SportsNet represents a structural shift toward team-controlled distribution.
MLB Is Quietly Becoming a Local Media Infrastructure Provider
While Ilitch will operate the network brand and distribution relationships, MLB Media will handle the underlying production and distribution of Tigers games. The league’s media arm has expanded rapidly into this role over the past two years.
MLB Media now produces and distributes local broadcasts for more than a dozen clubs whose RSN partners have collapsed or exited agreements. The same backend system supporting Tigers broadcasts will also extend to Red Wings coverage under the Detroit SportsNet structure.
The league is effectively building a centralized operating system for local sports broadcasting while individual teams control branding, distribution deals, and subscription pricing.
That model allows franchises to replace RSNs without rebuilding an entire production infrastructure from scratch.
Teams Are Rebuilding Local Sports Distribution From the Ground Up
Detroit SportsNet follows a similar blueprint to the Rangers Sports Network launched last year by the Texas Rangers. It also arrives just days after the Atlanta Braves introduced BravesVision, another team-controlled distribution initiative.
Across baseball, hockey, and basketball, ownership groups are rebuilding the local sports distribution stack with three primary components: direct-to-consumer streaming, traditional carriage agreements where available, and league-operated production infrastructure.
This hybrid approach attempts to preserve local reach while also establishing a subscription revenue stream independent of the shrinking cable bundle.
The economics remain uncertain, but control over distribution has become the primary objective.
The Streaming Wars Take
Detroit SportsNet highlights how quickly the regional sports network ecosystem is fragmenting. Team ownership groups are stepping into the role previously occupied by RSN operators, building their own brands and distribution models while relying on league-level infrastructure to handle production.
MLB’s growing involvement positions the league as a central technology and distribution provider for local sports broadcasts. That system allows teams to exit failing RSN deals without losing production capability or streaming reach.
As more NBA and NHL teams reach the end of their existing agreements, additional franchise-run networks are likely to emerge. The RSN era built around cable carriage is being replaced by a patchwork of team-operated networks, direct-to-consumer subscriptions, and league-managed broadcast infrastructure.
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