Reds fans face a potential broadcast shakeup as Main Street Sports falters.
The Cincinnati Reds are dealing with another round of broadcasting drama heading into 2026, and this time it might finally force them to make a permanent change in how fans watch their games.
According to Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend, Main Street Sports Group missed a December payment to the St. Louis Cardinals and now multiple teams are preparing to leave the company behind, with the Reds expected to be among them.
Cardinals Lead Mass Exodus
Friend reported that MLB sources confirmed the Cardinals have already told Main Street they're opting out of their deal unless the company can come through with a lucrative last-minute offer, which seems unlikely at this point.
"The St. Louis Cardinals — who did not receive their December rights fee payment — have already informed Main Street they are opting out barring a lucrative 11th hour 'final, final offer,'" Friend wrote.
The same sources expect six other teams to follow suit, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, and the Reds themselves, and even the Atlanta Braves are thinking about making an exit.
What It Means for Cincinnati
The Reds finished the 2025 season with an 83-79 record and clinched their first playoff berth since 2020, so with young stars like Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene leading the way and new manager Terry Francona in the dugout, the team was hoping to build momentum heading into 2026.
Instead, they're dealing with another broadcasting headache.
Tom Friend Reports Multiple Teams Will Exit
This isn't new territory for the Reds or for other MLB teams in similar situations.
Both the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks went through this exact scenario when Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy in 2023, and they ended up having Major League Baseball take over their broadcasts.
The league handled production and distribution for both teams, offering direct-to-consumer streaming options that eliminated blackouts while maintaining traditional cable and satellite packages.
If the Reds do opt out of their Main Street deal, all signs point to MLB stepping in to produce and distribute their games.
The Reds had actually planned this route for 2025 before signing a last-minute deal with FanDuel Sports Network, so the groundwork is already there.
The timing isn't ideal with spring training just a couple months away, but at least the Reds have options.
For fans, an MLB-produced broadcast would mean more accessibility through streaming with no blackouts and wider cable distribution.
Main Street's struggles affect roughly one-third of the league's teams, and if their deal with streaming platform DAZN falls through as expected, it will create a massive shift in how local baseball is watched across the country.
For now, the Reds and their fans are once again waiting to see where they'll be able to watch Nick Lodolo, Spencer Steer, and the rest of the young roster compete in 2026.