YES Network and MSG Networks to move local sports streaming to DAZN, exit Gotham App

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks dunks the ball during game six of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on May 2, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The YES Network and MSG Networks will soon have a new streaming home.

The independently owned, top-tier regional sports networks — which air local games for teams including MLB's New York Yankees and the NBA's New York Knicks — are moving their direct-to-consumer streaming offerings to DAZN, a global streaming sports service.

Key Details

• The two networks will exit their joint venture, the Gotham Sports app, roughly two years after its formation.
• Local games for the following teams will be offered via DAZN:
• MLB: New York Yankees
• NHL: New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres
• NBA: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets
• Yankees fans will still be able to finish out the current season on Gotham.
• The migration will occur during the 2026–2027 NBA and NHL seasons.

Pricing and Access

• Pay TV bundle customers who get access to each network through their cable provider will be able to stream those games on DAZN for free.
• Pricing details for the New York-area teams on DAZN have not yet been released.
• For context, various subscription plans for the Gotham Sports app started at approximately $209.99 per year.

Industry Context

The move to DAZN for some of the most popular professional teams comes as the regional sports network model faces severe pressure:

• Main Street Sports, the former owner of a portfolio of networks for MLB, NBA, and NHL teams, shut down in the spring following a bankruptcy filing and various maneuvers that left the business often unable to make payments to teams for the rights to carry games.
• While YES and MSG have not been directly involved in that turmoil — MSG Networks is independently owned by Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan, and YES by a group including the Yankees — each channel has been affected by similar cord-cutting headwinds despite strong ratings.
• DAZN has been among the suitors in a relatively strong position during the shakeout of streaming-only sports rights formerly owned by Main Street.

Broader Streaming Trends

Many networks have launched their own streaming offerings in recent years to capture fans who either cut their pay TV bundles or never had them in the first place. Others have partnered with established players like Amazon Prime Video to stream games.

DAZN is a global streaming service looking to gain ground in the U.S.:

• Last year, DAZN was the streaming home of the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S.
• One of its executives has publicly said the company was chasing the digital rights for Main Street's NBA teams.

A History of Transitions for Fans

For YES and MSG, their teams' fans have been through several switches already:

• YES and MSG each launched their own apps in 2023.
• They combined into the Gotham app in 2024.
• MSG's linear networks suffered a temporary blackout in 2025 with cable TV provider Optimum.
• YES Network recently came close to a similar situation with Comcast, as CNBC Sport previously reported.

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