YES Network and MSG Networks are moving local games to DAZN
YES and MSG will leave Gotham Sports for DAZN, shifting Yankees, Knicks, Nets and NHL local streaming as cord cutting pressures RSNs.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
YES Network DAZN streaming is becoming the new setup for New York-area fans who watch local Yankees, Knicks, Nets and several NHL games without a traditional TV package. CNBC Sport reported that YES Network and MSG Networks are leaving their Gotham Sports joint venture and moving their direct-to-consumer streaming offerings to DAZN.
The move matters beyond New York sports. Regional sports networks, known as RSNs, are channels that pay teams for local game rights and then earn money from cable carriage fees, advertising and subscriptions. As more households cancel cable bundles, those networks have been looking for new ways to reach fans and replace lost distribution.
YES carries local games for Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. MSG Networks has rights for the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL teams including the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, according to CNBC Sport.
Fans will not all move at once. CNBC Sport reported that Yankees fans will be able to finish the current season on Gotham, while the broader shift will happen during the 2026-27 NBA and NHL seasons.
How will YES and MSG games work on DAZN?
DAZN will become the streaming home for the local games that YES and MSG offer directly to consumers, according to CNBC Sport. Customers who already receive YES or MSG through a pay TV provider will be able to stream those games on DAZN at no extra charge.
The companies have not released pricing for New York-area team subscriptions on DAZN. CNBC Sport reported that Gotham Sports subscription options had started at about $209.99 a year.
DAZN is a global sports streaming service trying to build a larger U.S. business. CNBC Sport reported that DAZN streamed the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. last year, and that one of its executives has publicly said the company was pursuing digital rights for NBA teams previously tied to Main Street Sports.
Why are regional sports networks changing?
The old RSN model depends heavily on the cable bundle. When customers drop cable, networks can lose both household reach and the subscriber fees that providers pay to carry channels.
That pressure has already hit parts of the business. Main Street Sports, formerly the owner of a group of networks carrying MLB, NBA and NHL teams, shut down in the spring after a bankruptcy filing and other moves that CNBC Sport said often left the company unable to make payments to teams for game rights.
YES and MSG were not directly part of that turmoil, according to CNBC Sport. MSG Networks is independently owned by James Dolan, who also owns the Knicks and Rangers, while YES is owned by a group that includes the Yankees. Both networks have still faced the same industry problem: fewer cable subscribers, even as their teams can still draw strong audiences.
The DAZN deal also marks another app change for fans. YES and MSG each launched their own streaming services in 2023, then combined them into Gotham Sports in 2024, CNBC Sport reported.
Distribution fights have added to the pressure. MSG’s linear TV networks had a temporary blackout with Optimum in 2025, and YES recently came close to a similar dispute with Comcast, according to previous CNBC Sport reporting.
For investors watching sports media, the deal is another sign that local game rights are being reorganized around streaming platforms, cable access and direct fan subscriptions. Established tech and streaming companies are part of that shift too, with some networks choosing partners such as Amazon Prime Video for game streaming, according to CNBC Sport.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
