End of FanDuel Sports Network ends Cavaliers TV run; Austin Carr thanks Cleveland fans
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FanDuel Sports Network aired its final regional NBA telecast on Sunday, bringing an end to local television coverage for 13 franchises, including the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The channel—once branded as Fox Sports Ohio, later Bally Sports, and most recently FanDuel Sports Network—will shut down permanently. The Cavaliers are expected to retain a local broadcasting partner for the 2026-27 season, but the team has not announced a new outlet. Industry speculation centers on Rock Entertainment Sports Network, owned by Cavaliers chairman Dan Gilbert.
Uncertainty also surrounds the on-air team. One network employee told colleagues, “When you find out, let me know,” in response to questions about future assignments.
During the postgame show of the network’s last Cavaliers broadcast, franchise icon and longtime analyst Austin Carr offered a farewell message alongside host Cayleigh Griffin.
“First of all, I really want to thank the fans of Cleveland,” Carr said on air. “You have stuck with us the whole way—good or bad—and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Cayleigh and I have really enjoyed your presence.”
Griffin added that Cavaliers games will be televised somewhere next season but said details have yet to be finalized. “We appreciate everyone tuning in over the years. What a tremendous run it’s been,” she said.
FanDuel Sports Network’s shutdown also affects the Heat, Thunder and 10 other NBA clubs, ending a broadcasting era that began under the Fox Sports regional banner and evolved through multiple rebrandings over more than a decade.
Source: Hoops Wire
