標籤: Network

Rumors and whispers have been prevalent throughout the NHL season that FanDuel Sports Network is nearing its end, and on Thursday it was made official as the lenders to network owner Main Street Sports Group completed the paperwork to cease operations at the conclusion of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The problem first became apparent in March 2023, when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading to the departure of several professional sports teams that had used them for their game broadcasts. However, in January 2025, they came out of bankruptcy and immediately rebranded themselves from Diamond Sports Group to Main Street Sports Group.

What broadcast options could the Carolina Hurricanes pursue next season?

Since the Carolina Hurricanes’ first season, they have been broadcast through several iterations of the company, beginning in 1997 when it was still Fox Sports South.

They enter uncharted territory for the first time in Carolina, as they must secure a broadcast plan before the start of next season – which is expected to start earlier than usual as the NHL adopts an 84-game schedule.

The most obvious option they could take would be to broadcast through Victory+ or Scripps Sports, as many teams did during Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy saga.

Both Victory+ and Scripps Sports are consumer-friendly compared to FanDuel Sports Network, with Victory+ being a free, ad-supported streaming network and Scripps Sports’ annual package priced at $69.99 USD for only team-specific streaming apps, such as Nighttime+ (Vegas Golden Knights) and Panthers Plus (Florida Panthers), and free over-the-air broadcasts on local stations.

In addition to those two, the Hurricanes could also broadcast through MLB, as the Detroit Red Wings have decided to do.

While it seems almost certain that local fans will have to watch the Storm via a different streaming outlet next season, there is at least hope that it could be more cost-effective than FanDuel Sports Network’s $189.99 annual streaming price tag.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

AFC Bournemouth’s multi-club structure is starting to show more clear signs on the ground, with the activity in Portugal offering a useful glimpse of how the club is aligning players and coaching pathways.

At Moreense FC, two Bournemouth U21 players are currently working with the first team under manager Vasco Botelho da Costa. The pair – forward Jonny Day and centre-back Harold Williams – have been integrated into training during a period where the Portuguese side have struggled with a number of injuries.

That temporary step serves an immediate purpose. Moreirense is lacking in key areas including central defense and attack, and the extra bodies help maintain the intensity of training ahead of his return to league action.

However, the move also reflects something more deliberate.

The network is working in both directions

Bournemouth’s ownership group has already established a clear relationship with Moreirense. That link is now being used in a practical way, giving young players experience of the senior football environment outside England.

At the same time, it places those players directly under the guidance of a coach which is increasingly relevant to Bournemouth’s long-term thinking.

As reported in Portugal to ballTraining arrangements come through a shared structure between the clubs. Yet the broader picture shows that a system is being actively tested rather than simply existing on paper.

For Bournemouth, it provides a controlled environment to develop talent while strengthening internal relationships in their network.

Vasco Botelho remains the key figure

Vasco Botelho da Costa remains at the center of this relationship. As we covered earlierBournemouth reportedly view the Portuguese coach as a possible future option. The hope is that he can enter the frame for this role within a season or two.

His profile explains why. After starting out in Estoril’s youth setup, Botelho stepped into senior management with União de Leiria in 2022/23 and won the third division title. He then guided FC Alverca to promotion to the Primeira Liga in 2024/25.

Now working within Bournemouth’s wider structure at Morensey, he is gaining experience that matches closely with the club’s ecosystem.

What does this mean for Bournemouth

There is no immediate suggestion of change around Andoni Ierola. Nevertheless, Bournemouth’s approach appears to be increasingly structured.

Through their network they are not only developing players but also introducing potential future coaches to their methods and talent pool.

By placing academy players under Botelho’s supervision, Bournemouth creates a two-way evaluation process. The coach works with his players while the club learns more about his methods in a live environment.

This is a small detail in isolation. Still, in the context of his broader plan, it looks like another step toward a clearly delineated future.

ESPN 已完成對 NFL Media 的 10 億美元收購，獲得 NFL Network 的完全所有權以及流行的 NFL RedZone 頻道的發行權。據 The Athletic 的安德魯·馬爾尚 (Andrew Marchand) 稱，政府監管機構週六晚間批准了這筆交易，交易立即完成。

NFL 和 ESPN 在給 The Athletic 的聯合聲明中表示：“NFL 和 ESPN 很高興地宣布，正式完成將 NFL Network 和其他 NFL 媒體資產出售給 ESPN。” “隨著交易的結束，我們將在未來幾個月開始將 NFL 員工納入 ESPN。展望未來，NFL 球迷可以期待擴大的 NFL 節目、更多地訪問 NFL Network、創新的 Fantasy 體驗以及對美國最受歡迎的運動的無與倫比的報導。”

作為協議的一部分，NFL 將收購 ESPN 10% 的股權，這筆交易價值數十億美元。這一安排有效地將聯盟之前對 NFL Network 100% 的所有權換成了美國最大體育網絡之一的少數股權，從而在聯盟和 ESPN 之間建立了直接的財務聯繫。據報導，這種前所未有的關係使 NFL 在 ESPN 更廣泛的廣播業務中擁有公平性和影響力。

在新的結構下，ESPN 每個賽季將轉播 28 場 NFL 比賽，而之前的安排為 25 場。其中，21 場比賽將在 ESPN 系列網絡上播出，而 7 場比賽將繼續在 NFL 網絡上播出。此外，四場週一橄欖球之夜的雙賽將被取消，美國國家橄欖球聯盟將收回這些比賽，並可能出售給流媒體平台。 NFL Network 將保留三款現有遊戲，所有遊戲都將向 ESPN Unlimited 訂戶開放，ESPN Unlimited 是該網絡去年秋天推出的直接面向消費者的服務，每月收費 29.99 美元。

該交易還將 NFL Media 員工納入 ESPN，過渡計劃於 2026 年 4 月開始。預計球迷們將在秋季下一個常規賽開始時看到 NFL Network 完全融入 ESPN 的生態系統。訂戶將通過 ESPN Unlimited 免費訪問 NFL Network，並通過 NFL.com 的奇幻內容與 ESPN.com 平台的合併增強奇幻橄欖球產品。

儘管 ESPN 獲得了 RedZone 的線性轉播權，但 NFL 將繼續製作該頻道並管理數字發行。同樣，聯盟將獨立運營 NFL+、NFL.com 和其他媒體資產。這保持了 NFL 對其數字足蹟的影響力，同時使 ESPN 能夠加強其直接面向消費者的服務。

此次收購正值 NFL 進入媒體協議不斷演變的時期。該聯盟目前與主要網絡和流媒體服務公司簽訂了價值超過 1100 億美元的 11 年合同，並在十年結束時有選擇退出條款。這筆交易可能會鞏固 ESPN 在未來轉播權談判中的地位，特別是在亞馬遜 Prime Video、Netflix 和 YouTube 等流媒體平台的競爭加劇的情況下，這些平台近年來越來越多地播放 NFL 內容。

NFL Network 成立於 2003 年，RedZone 於 6 年後推出，現在在 ESPN 的掌控下能夠覆蓋更廣泛的受眾。隨著合併在 2027 年 2 月 ESPN 超級碗首秀之前完成，球迷們可以期待一種全新的方式來跨每個平台體驗比賽和內容。