FanDuel Sports Network Ohio


FanDuel Sports Network Ohio is an American regional sports network owned by Main Street Sports Group as part of the FanDuel Sports Network chain.
The channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events in the state of Ohio, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus.
FanDuel Sports Network Ohio is available on cable providers throughout Ohio, as well as parts of Indiana, Kentucky, northwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Tennessee, border communities of West Virginia, and extreme southwestern New York; it is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.

History

The channel originally launched on February 9, 1989, as SportsChannel Ohio. It launched as an affiliate of SportsChannel, a slate of regional sports networks operated as a joint venture between Cablevision and NBC. SportsChannel Ohio initially held the broadcast games from the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Indians. The channel also aired select Cincinnati Reds games produced by SportsChannel Cincinnati, Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball and football games, and Ohio State Buckeyes sporting events.
In 1997, News Corporation and Liberty Media purchased a 40% interest in Cablevision's sports properties including the SportsChannel America networks in a deal worth $850 million, forming the venture National Sports Partners to run the owned-and-operated regional networks. As part of a gradual rebranding of the SportsChannel networks that began that month, SportsChannel Ohio was rebranded as Fox Sports Ohio in January 1998.
The channel was then rebranded as Fox Sports Net Ohio in 2000, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner; subsequently in 2004, the channel shortened its name to FSN Ohio, through the networks' de-emphasis of the brand.
In February 2005, News Corporation acquired Cablevision's ownership stakes in Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Florida, following an asset trade in which Fox sold its interest in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks and the Rangers, to Cablevision, in exchange for acquiring sole ownership of the two networks. The channel reverted to the Fox Sports Ohio moniker in 2008
On December 14, 2017, as part of a merger between both companies, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to acquire all 22 regional Fox Sports networks from 21st Century Fox, including Fox Sports Ohio, sister network SportsTime Ohio, and Fox's 50% stake in the network's Cincinnati sub-feed. However, on June 27, 2018, the Justice Department ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership of ESPN. On May 3, 2019, it was announced that Diamond Sports Group would acquire the channels as part of an agreement with Disney.
The sale was completed on August 23, 2019. The network continued to operate under the Fox Sports name until March 31, 2021, when it was rebranded Bally Sports Ohio as part of a sponsorship deal between Diamond and casino operator Bally's Corporation.
file:Fox Sports Ohio 2012 logo.png|thumb|right|150px|2010s logo as Fox Sports Ohio
On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On October 21, 2024, the channel was rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network Ohio as part of a new agreement between Diamond and FanDuel Group.

Feeds

The network operates regional feeds for the Cleveland and Cincinnati markets, both branded as FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, which broadcast different events depending on the market. This arrangement can cause event conflicts in the Columbus market, which is located between Cincinnati and Cleveland. In the event of conflicting events between the two regional feeds, TV providers in Central Ohio will carry the other game on an alternate channel.

Programming

FanDuel Sports Network Ohio holds the exclusive regional pay television rights to MLB's Cincinnati Reds, the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. The channel also carries a select number of college basketball games involving the University of Dayton and Northern Kentucky University. The network formerly held the local rights to college basketball games featuring Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati through the 2019–20 season.
The channel formerly broadcast Cleveland Indians games from the network's launch as SportsChannel Ohio, until Fox Sports Ohio lost the rights as a result of the team starting eventual sister network SportsTime Ohio in March 2006. Despite this move, Reds games continued to be blacked out in most of Northeast Ohio, the designated market area of the now-Guardians. When Reds games air in the rest of Ohio, the Cleveland feed airs generic national Fox Sports Networks programming unless a local Cleveland event is scheduled. Although they came under common ownership following Fox's purchase of the latter in 2012, Bally Sports Ohio did not share broadcast rights to any sporting events with Bally Sports Great Lakes and vice versa, with both networks maintaining their own respective team television contracts. From 2019 to 2021, Columbus Crew games were split between Fox Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio, although those telecasts were blacked out in the Cincinnati area due to the presence of FC Cincinnati.
On October 19, 2016, Fox Sports and the Reds announced an extension of their broadcast agreement to the end of the 2032 season. The deal included the Reds taking an equity stake in the Cincinnati sub-feed of Fox Sports Ohio. In November 2024, amid the Diamond Sports bankruptcy, the Reds agreed to exit the contract and would sign with MLB Local Media for the 2025 season. On January 13, 2025, the team announced that it had instead renewed with Main Street Sports Group, and would remain on FDSN Ohio for the upcoming season.
FanDuel Sports Network Ohio was also the broadcaster for the AHL's Cleveland Monsters until 2024 when the Monsters signed a new deal with Gray Television.

Notable on-air staff

Current

Cleveland Cavaliers

Columbus Crew

  • Neil Sika – play-by-play
  • Jordan Angeli – color commentary
  • Brett Hiltbrand – sideline reporter/pregame/halftime/postgame host