View source for FanDuel Sports Network Florida

{{short description|Regional sports network}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox television channel
| name              = FanDuel Sports Network Florida
| logo              = FanDuel Sports Network Florida logo.svg
| logo_size         =
| logo_alt          =
| logo_caption      =
| image             =
| image_size        =
| image_alt         =
| alt               =
| caption           =
| type              = [[Regional sports network]]
| country           = [[United States]]
| area              = [[Florida]]<br>[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]<br>[[South Alabama]]<br>Nationwide (via satellite)
| network           = [[FanDuel Sports Network]]
| headquarters      = [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], U.S.<ref name="foxsports1">{{cite web|author=Fox Sports |url=http://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/contact-us-010113 |title=Contact Us |work=FOX Sports |date=January 1, 2013 |access-date=July 20, 2015}}</ref>
| language          = English<br>Spanish (via [[second audio program|SAP]])
| languages         =
| picture_format    = [[720p]] ([[High-definition television|HDTV]])<br>[[480i]] ([[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| owner             = [[Main Street Sports Group]]
| parent            =
| key_people        =
| sister_channels   = [[FanDuel Sports Network Sun]]
| founded           =
| founder           =
| launch_date       = {{Start date and age|1987|12|29|p=y}}
| replaced          =
| closed_date       = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| replaced_by       =
| former_names      = SportsChannel Florida (1987–2000)<br>Fox Sports Net Florida (2000–2004)<br>FSN Florida (2004–2008)<br>Fox Sports Florida (2008–2021)<br>Bally Sports Florida (2021–2024)
| online_serv_1     = [[FanDuel Sports Network app]]
| online_chan_1     = {{URL|https://www.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/mvpd/login }}<br>{{small|(U.S. cable internet subscribers only; requires login from participating providers to stream content; some events may not be available due to league rights restrictions)}}
| online_serv_2     = [[DirecTV Stream]]
| online_chan_2     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
| online_serv_3     = [[FuboTV]]
| online_chan_3     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
| availability_note = <br>{{small|(Some events may air on overflow feed FanDuel Sports Network Florida Plus due to event conflicts)}}
| website           = {{URL|https://www.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/florida-sun/}}
| webcast           = 
}}

'''FanDuel Sports Network Florida''' is an American [[regional sports network]] owned by [[Main Street Sports Group]] (formerly Diamond Sports Group) and operated as an affiliate of [[FanDuel Sports Network]]. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sports teams based in [[Miami]], [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]] and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].

FanDuel Sports Network Florida maintains production facilities and offices located in Fort Lauderdale,<ref name="foxsports1"/> alongside sister network [[FanDuel Sports Network Sun]]. The channel is available on [[cable television]] providers throughout Florida, and in parts of southern [[Alabama]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]; it is also available nationwide on [[direct broadcast satellite|satellite]] via [[DirecTV]].

==History==
[[File:SportsChannel Florida logo.png|thumb|left|200px|SportsChannel Florida logo, from 1995 to 2000]]
FanDuel Sports Network Florida was launched on December 29, 1987, as '''SportsChannel Florida'''. It was originally owned by [[Rainbow Media]] (a subsidiary of [[Cablevision|Cablevision Systems Corporation]]), and was the fourth regional network of [[SportsChannel America]]. The network originally featured coverage of local college teams, holding the broadcast rights to televise select games from the [[University of Florida]], [[Florida State University]], [[University of Miami]], [[University of South Florida]] and [[Jacksonville University]]. In addition to national SportsChannel programming, the channel also showed a combined 100 baseball games that featured the [[New York Yankees]] and [[New York Mets]] from [[SportsChannel New York]], and [[Chicago White Sox]] games broadcast by [[SportsChannel Chicago]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Cable sports showdown in Florida |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1988/BC-1988-02-15.pdf |access-date=April 5, 2021 |work=Broadcasting |date=February 15, 1988}}</ref>

[[File:FS Florida.png|thumb|left|200px|Fox Sports Florida logo, used from 2008 to 2012.]]
In the spring of 1988, SportsChannel Florida obtained the regional cable television rights to broadcast [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] games from the [[Miami Heat]], effective with the [[1988–89 NBA season|1988–89 season]]. In 1992, SportsChannel lost the television contract to the Heat to then-rival [[Sun Sports|Sunshine Network]]. Heat games would return to the channel in the late 1990s when both networks came under the ownership of Fox Sports parent [[News Corporation]].

In 1996, [[Florida Panthers]] owner [[Wayne Huizenga]] purchased a 70% controlling interest in SportsChannel Florida, with Rainbow Media (by that time, a [[joint venture]] between Cablevision and [[NBC]]) retaining a minority 30% interest. That led Huizenga to move the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] franchise's game telecasts from Sunshine Network to SportsChannel Florida for the [[1996–97 NHL season|1996–97 season]]. The following year in 1997, SportsChannel Florida obtained the rights to the [[Florida Marlins]] – also owned by Huizenga – which moved 35 games (half the schedule) from the Sunshine Network in [[1997 Major League Baseball season|that year's Major League Baseball season]], with all games moving the following season.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Byrd |first1=Alan |title=Sunshine loses half of Marlins games to rival |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/1996/12/02/story2.html |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=Orlando Business Journal |date=December 2, 1996}}</ref> In 1998, SportsChannel Florida also gained the regional cable rights to the [[Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] Major League Baseball expansion team.

[[File:Fox Sports Florida 2012 logo.png|thumb|left|200px|Former Fox Sports Florida logo, used from 2012 to 2021]]
Unlike the other networks that were members of the SportsChannel America chain, Huizenga's control of SportsChannel Florida prevented the channel from joining [[Fox Sports Networks|Fox Sports Net]]. Shortly after Cablevision and Fox Sports announced the merger in 1997, Cablevision ceased production of its national SportsChannel programming in favor of Fox Sports Net's programming (though the networks would not officially rebrand until early the next year). Since SportsChannel Florida did not have rights to the Fox Sports Net programming, SportsChannel Florida made an affiliation agreement with [[CNN/SI]] to carry its programming instead.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hooper |first1=Ernest |title=SportsChannel to air CNN/SI |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/07/18/sportschannel-to-air-cnn-si/ |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=July 18, 1997 |language=en}}</ref> Cablevision finally repurchased Huizenga's share of the network in November 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rainbow, Fox Deal for Florida Net|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57634827.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924160112/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57634827.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|author=Steve Donohue|periodical=[[Multichannel News]]|publisher=Cahners Business Information|date=November 15, 1999|access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> The network was relaunched as '''Fox Sports Net Florida''' on March 1, 2000, making it the last SportsChannel network to adopt the Fox Sports Net brand. At this time Fox Sports Net programming was moved from the Sunshine Network (which Fox only had a minority-interest in) and CNN/SI programming was phased out.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Dave |title=SPORTSCHANNEL JOINS FOX SPORTS |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2000-01-07-0001070109-story.html |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=The Orlando Sentinel |date=January 7, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=TALALAY |first1=SARAH |title=SALE PUTS SPORTSCHANNEL UNDER FOX'S SPORTS NET |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2000-01-07-0001070299-story.html |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=Sun-Sentinel.com |date=January 7, 2000}}</ref>

In February 2005, News Corporation  acquired Cablevision's ownership stakes in Fox Sports Florida and [[Fox Sports Ohio]], following an asset trade in which Fox sold its interest in Madison Square Garden and the arena's NBA and NHL team tenants, the [[New York Knicks]] and [[New York Rangers]], to Cablevision, in exchange for acquiring sole ownership of the two Fox Sports regional networks. News Corporation [[Corporate spin-off|spun off]] most of its entertainment properties into [[21st Century Fox]] in July 2013.

[[File:Bally_Sports_Florida_logo.svg|thumb|right|200px|Former logo as Bally Sports Florida, used from 2021 to 2024.]]
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 Florida. However, on June 27, 2018, the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership of [[ESPN]]. On May 3, 2019, [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] and [[Entertainment Studios]] (through their joint venture, Diamond Sports Group) bought [[Fox Sports Networks]] from [[The Walt Disney Company]] for $10.6 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sinclair-disney-regional-sports-network-deal-1203204685/|title=Sinclair Clinches Disney-Regional Sports Networks Deal, Byron Allen Joins as Partner|last=Littleton|first=Cynthia|website=Variety|date=May 3, 2019 |language=en|access-date=May 5, 2019}}</ref> The deal closed on August 22, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2019-08-23/sinclair-completes-acquisition-of-regional-sports-networks-from-Disney|title=Sinclair completes acquisition of regional sports networks from Disney| publisher=Bloomberg |date=August 22, 2019 |access-date=August 23, 2019}}</ref> On November 17, 2020, Sinclair announced an agreement with casino operator [[Bally's Corporation]] to serve as a new [[naming rights]] partner for the FSN channels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-11 |title=Fortebet ug Casino - Play Online on the Official Website |url=https://fortebets.ug/casino/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=fortebets.ug |language=en-US}}</ref> Sinclair announced the new Bally Sports branding for the channels on January 27, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Novy-Williams|first=Eben|date=November 19, 2020|title=Bally's Buys Sinclair RSN Naming Rights As Part of Sports Betting Push|url=https://www.sportico.com/business/sports-betting/2020/ballys-sinclair-naming-rights-1234616912/|access-date=March 31, 2021|website=Sportico.com|language=en-US}}</ref>  On March 31, 2021, coinciding with the start of the [[2021 Major League Baseball season]] the next day, Fox Sports Florida and sister network Fox Sports Sun rebranded as '''Bally Sports Florida''' and '''Bally Sports Sun''', which resulted in 18 other Regional Sports Networks renamed Bally Sports in their respective regions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YLiKlSLkSM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211218/7YLiKlSLkSM |archive-date=December 18, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bally Sports, Coming March 31| publisher=YouTube (Fox Sports Midwest) |date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=March 17, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The first live sporting event on Bally Sports Florida will be the Marlins home opener against the Rays on April 1.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun launches Wednesday, March 31 |url=https://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/bally-sports-florida-bally-sports-sun-launches-march-31-033121 |access-date=March 31, 2021 |work=FOX Sports |date=March 31, 2021}}</ref>

===Bankruptcy===
{{See also|Diamond Sports Group#Bankruptcy}}
On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports, the parent company of Bally Sports, filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy]],<ref>{{cite press release|title=Diamond Sports Group Commences Voluntary Chapter 11 Proceedings to Strengthen Balance Sheet|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230314006050/en/Diamond-Sports-Group-Commences-Voluntary-Chapter-11-Proceedings-to-Strengthen-Balance-Sheet |access-date=March 14, 2023 |work=Business Wire |date=March 14, 2023}}</ref> 30 days after they failed to make a $140M interest payment.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ourand|first=John|title=Diamond Sports Group not making $140M interest payment|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/02/15/Media/diamond-sports-group.aspx |access-date=February 15, 2023 |work=[[Sports Business Journal]]|publisher=Leaders Group |date=February 15, 2023}}</ref> Diamond’s first-lien lenders will not be affected as part of the restructuring support agreement, but other creditors will convert their debt into equity. Diamond also plans to separate from Sinclair and become an entirely new entity.<ref name=CNBC>{{cite news |last=Rizzo|first=Lillian|title=Diamond Sports, largest owner of regional sports networks, files for bankruptcy|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/14/diamond-sports-files-for-bankruptcy.html|access-date=May 2, 2023 |work=CNBC|date=March 14, 2023}}</ref> 

On July 2, 2024, Bally Sports Florida and the [[Florida Panthers]] of the National Hockey League mutually agreed to terminate their broadcasting contract early. That same day, the Panthers announced a new broadcast deal with the [[E. W. Scripps Company]]'s [[Scripps Sports]], which would put games over-the-air on Scripps-owned [[WSFL-TV]] in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]] and [[WHDT]] in [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Florida Panthers, Scripps Sports partner on multi-year agreement to air National Hockey League team’s games|url=https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/florida-panthers-scripps-sports-partner-on-multi-year-agreement-to-air-national-hockey-league-team-s-game|access-date=July 2, 2024 |website=NHL.com}}</ref>

On October 16, 2024, it was revealed in a court filing that Diamond had reached a new sponsorship agreement with [[FanDuel|FanDuel Group]], under which it intends to rebrand Bally Sports as the '''FanDuel Sports Network'''; on October 18, 2024, Diamond officially announced the rebranding, which will take effect October 21.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2024-10-18 |title=FanDuel Takes Over Naming Rights to Diamond Sports RSNs |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/fanduel-naming-rights-diamond-sports-rsn-1236182511/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-18 |title=Diamond Sports branded as FanDuel in new deal |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41871214/diamond-sports-groups-channels-branded-part-fanduel-sports-network-deal |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Under the agreement, FanDuel will have the option to take a minority equity stake of up to 5% once Diamond Sports exits bankruptcy. The branding will be downplayed within programming related to high school sports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Tony |title=Bally Sports Detroit set to become FanDuel Sports Network; what you need to know |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/2024/10/16/bally-sports-detroit-set-to-become-fanduel-sports-network-what-you-need-to-know/75707857007/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Randles |first=Jonathan |date=2024-10-16 |title=Diamond Seeks Approval to Rebrand From Bally Sports to FanDuel |url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/2024/10/16/diamond-seeks-approval-to-rebrand-from-bally-sports-to-fanduel/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=BNN Bloomberg |language=en}}</ref>

==Programming==
FanDuel Sports Network Florida holds the regional cable television rights to the NBA's [[Orlando Magic]] and the [[Miami Marlins]] of Major League Baseball.

FanDuel Sports Network Florida shares the broadcast rights to the aforementioned professional sports teams with [[Bally Sports Sun]] (with Miami Heat games transmitted to cable providers in [[South Florida]], and Orlando Magic games aired exclusively on Bally Sports Florida <ref>{{cite web|author=Fox Sports |url=http://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/fox-sports-florida-orlando-magic-2014-2015-tv-broadcast-schedule-102114 |title=Florida to air all 82 Orlando Magic games in 2014-15 |work=FOX Sports |date=October 21, 2014 |access-date=July 20, 2015}}</ref> in Central and Northern Florida. The two channels do not focus on one region of Florida, but simply distribute games in accordance with each team's territorial rights, with both cable channels maintaining exclusivity over regional broadcasts of Lightning, Heat, Marlins, Rays and Magic games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, Miami Heat and Tampa Bay Rays are televised on FanDuel Sports Network Sun, while the Orlando Magic and Miami Marlins are televised on FanDuel Sports Network Florida. Additionally, each network televises exclusive shoulder programming highlighting the team, players and coaches on the corresponding network.<ref>{{cite web|author=Fox Sports |url=http://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/about-us-010114 |title=About FOX Sports Florida and Sun Sports |work=FOX Sports |date=January 1, 2014 |access-date=July 20, 2015}}</ref>

==Notable on-air staff==

===Current===
* [[David Steele (sports announcer)|David Steele]] - Orlando Magic play-by-play announcer
* [[Jeff Turner]] - Orlando Magic color analyst
* Dante Marchitelli - Orlando Magic studio host and reporter
* [[Brian Hill (basketball)|Brian Hill]] - Orlando Magic studio analyst
* [[Quentin Richardson]] - Orlando Magic studio analyst
* [[Craig Minervini]] - Miami Marlins and Florida Panthers studio host and reporter
* Jessica Blaylock - Florida Panthers studio host and reporter
* Kyle Sielaff - Miami Marlins play-by-play announcer
* [[Jeff Nelson (pitcher)|Jeff Nelson]] - Miami Marlins studio analyst and color analyst
* [[Gaby Sánchez]] - Miami Marlins studio analyst and color analyst
* [[Rod Allen]] - Miami Marlins color analyst
* [[Tommy Hutton]] - Miami Marlins studio analyst and color analyst

===Former===
* [[Alex Chappell]] - Tampa Bay Rays pre and post-game reporter now with [[ESPN]] and [[Mid-Atlantic Sports Network]]
* [[Laura Rutledge]] - Tampa Bay Rays pre and post-game reporter now with [[ESPN]]/[[SEC Network]]
* [[Allison Williams (reporter)|Allison Williams]] - Miami Marlins in-game reporter, Formerly of [[ESPN]] and now with [[Fox Sports]]
* [[Joe Magrane]] - Tampa Bay Rays analyst now with [[MLB Network]]
* [[Kevin Kennedy (baseball)|Kevin Kennedy]] - Tampa Bay Rays analyst
* Kelly Nash - Tampa Bay Rays pre and post-game reporter now with [[MLB Network]] and [[NHL Network (American TV channel)|NHL Network]]
* [[Rich Waltz]] - Miami Marlins Announcer formerly with [[MLB Network]], [[Major League Baseball on TBS|MLB on TBS]], and [[Los Angeles Angels]] baseball play-by-play announcer now with College Football and Basketball play-by-play on [[CBS Sports]], and [[CBS Sports Network]]
* [[Todd Hollandsworth]] - Miami Marlins color analyst
* [[J. P. Arencibia]] - Miami Marlins studio analyst
* [[Steve Goldstein (broadcaster)|Steve Goldstein]] - Florida Panthers play-by-play announcer
* [[Randy Moller]] - Florida Panthers color analyst
* [[Ed Jovanovski]] - Florida Panthers studio analyst
* [[Jeff Chychrun]] - Florida Panthers studio analyst
* [[Paul Severino]] - Miami Marlins play-by-play announcer

==Carriage conflicts==

===Bright House===
For its first 21 years of existence, the channel was not available to most cable subscribers in the Orlando area, as [[Bright House Networks]], the largest cable system in [[central Florida]], refused to carry the channel. The conflict stemmed from the system's previous existence as Cablevision (a brand unaffiliated with the [[Bethpage, New York]]-based [[Cablevision|cable provider of the same name]]), and continued through its acquisition by [[Time Warner Cable]] and, later, Bright House. This issue did not change following Fox Sports' acquisition of [[Sun Sports]], now known as Bally Sports Sun, which Bright House already carried on its Orlando area lineup, and continued even after the Orlando Magic moved half of the televised games in its schedule from [[MyNetworkTV]] [[owned-and-operated station]] [[WRBW]] (channel 65) to Fox Sports Florida in 2007.

Fox Sports Net's sister subsidiary [[Fox Television Stations]] had earlier purchased WRBW (then a [[UPN]] affiliate) in Orlando in 2001, followed by its purchase of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WOFL]] (channel 35) in 2002. On paper, this gave News Corporation – the corporate parent of the Fox Sports Networks at the time – the right to require Bright House to carry Fox Sports Florida as part of its [[retransmission consent]] compensation agreement for carriage of WOFL and WRBW, but Fox chose not to exercise that right. Bright House would agree to carry Fox Sports Florida on its Orlando system, with the channel being added on [[digital cable]] channel 50 on January 1, 2009. News Corporation and Bright House reached a new retransmission agreement on January 1, 2010, preventing both Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports from being dropped from the provider's central Florida system. Fox would want Bright House to return Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports to the provider's [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] service area on February 12, 2010.

Fox Sports Florida was also not available on [[Comcast]] systems in the [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]] and [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] markets until 2006, and remains unavailable on Comcast's [[Lake County, Florida|Lake County]] systems. Orlando Magic games aired on the channel are [[blackout (broadcasting)|blacked out]] by Comcast in the [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] market.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/florida-sun/}}

{{Bally Sports}}
{{Navboxes|list1=
{{Florida Panthers}}
{{Miami Heat}}
{{Miami Marlins}}
{{Orlando Magic}}
{{SBGI}}
{{Tampa Bay TV}}
{{Orlando TV}}
{{Miami TV}}
{{WPB TV}}
{{Jacksonville TV}}
{{Ft. Myers TV}}
{{Tallahassee TV}}
{{Fox Sports Networks}}
{{SportsChannel America}}
{{U.S. regional sports networks}}
}}

[[Category:FanDuel Sports Network]]
[[Category:Bally Sports]]
[[Category:Fox Sports Networks]]
[[Category:Sports in Florida]]
[[Category:SportsChannel]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1987]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Florida]]