FanDuel Sports Network is expanding through a partnership with the same sports betting channel its chief competitor sold off last summer.
FanDuel Sports Network and VSiN announced a partnership Thursday that will bring the Las Vegas-based network’s content to nine of the regional channels formerly branded as Bally Sports and owned by Main Street Sports Group.
The agreement comes a little more than a year after DraftKings sold VSiN back to its founders, after buying it for $70 million in 2021. While DraftKings has since retrenched its media strategy, FanDuel continues to expand, adding VSiN to a lineup that already includes its own cable channels, a multiyear content deal with The Ringer and the RSNs it scooped off of another competitor.
VSiN joins FanDuel Network
Under the deal, VSiN’s new morning show, By the Books, will air Monday through Friday on the FanDuel Sports Network app and across nine of its regional affiliates. The program is hosted by veteran broadcaster Dave Ross and former MLB pitcher Jensen Lewis.
FanDuel TV, which is owned and operated by FanDuel, not Main Street Sports, will not air the program.
VSiN also produces more than 18 hours of live betting programming daily, giving the betting operator a steady stream of content for its regional channels as the NFL season kicks off.
“We’re thrilled to bring VSiN’s unique sports betting content to the passionate fans that watch their favorite local teams play on FanDuel Sports Network,” Steve Cohen, VSiN executive vice president of talent and programming, said in a press release.
Content strategies diverge
DraftKings offloaded VSiN in July 2024, with founders Brian Musburger and Bill Adee taking back control of the brand and promising a return to independent programming. DraftKings executives said at the time the sale was part of a broader effort to “optimize” content spending, while maintaining advertising ties with the network.
FanDuel, by contrast, has leaned further into media. After rebranding its TVG channels in 2022, the Flutter-owned operator has steadily added live sports rights, on-air talent, and content partnerships in an effort to capture bettors’ attention outside the app/
“Partnering with VSiN allows us to deliver smart, entertaining betting insights tied to the teams and games our audiences care about most,” said Norby Williamson, president of programming and production for Main Street Sports Group.
