The Wolves’ agreement with DAZN follows the collapse of FanDuel Sports Network, marking the latest shift in Minnesota’s rapidly changing sports media landscape.

With the demise of FanDuel Sports North, the Timberwolves have a new TV home this season. (Photo/Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

 Shelby Swanson | The Minnesota Star Tribune

The Timberwolves have a new local broadcast home for next season.

London-based streaming platform DAZN (pronounced da-ZONE) will become the Timberwolves’ exclusive local broadcast home for the 2026-27 season under a new media rights agreement announced Thursday morning.Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Matthew Caldwell said the Wolves have signed a five-year deal with DAZN, with a mutual opt-out available after a year.

“Direct to consumer is the future — not just in media rights, but you can see it with our ticketing platform,” Caldwell said Thursday morning, later adding: “When you look at revenue, reach and technology, we felt DAZN was the best option for us.”

Per Sports Business Journal, the Wolves might not be the only NBA team making the move. DAZN is reportedly close to acquiring the exclusive local broadcast rights for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies. All five teams previously aired games through Main Street Sports Group, owner of the now-defunct FanDuel Sports Networks.

Fans will be able to stream Wolves games through a new team-branded subscription service launching later this summer. Games will be produced by the NBA. Fifteen games will be available for free. Additional details, including game availability, programming, launch timing, on-air talent and subscription pricing, are expected at a later date.

Zander Berlinski, DAZN’s senior vice president of strategy and business development, said pricing will be announced in the coming weeks. DAZN currently costs $35 per month in the United States, but Berlinski said the streaming platform will launch a “bespoke Timberwolves-specific team subscription” that will be priced at a lower rate. Berlinski said DAZN will offer a separate plan — likely in partnership with an entity like DirecTV or EverPass — for local restaurants and bars.

For Minnesota fans, it’s the latest change in the state’s rapidly evolving sports media landscape.

The regional sports network model that once carried the Twins, Wolves, Lynx and Wild through FanDuel Sports Network has quickly unraveled. The Lynx moved local broadcasts to Victory+ this season, while the Wild struck a new distribution partnership with the NHL. The Twins partnered with MLB on Twins.TV before the 2025 season.

The Wolves’ search for a new partner escalated this spring, when Main Street Sports Group informed teams it would wind down operations after the NBA season, forcing 13 NBA franchises to secure new local broadcast deals before next season.

The Wolves’ deal with DAZN is different from the route chosen by the Twins and Wild in that they will not still be available to consumers over cable and satellite channels, but rather only through a streaming platform. Caldwell said that was a “big consideration” as the Wolves mulled their options.

DAZN executives are aware of the subscription fatigue that Minnesota sports fans are facing, but Global Chief Revenue Officer Walker Jacobs is encouraging local Wolves viewers to “come try” their platform.

“We think they’re going to love it,” Jacobs said. “Our platform is the only streaming service that was built exclusively to stream live sports. So the features, the technology, are really built for that.”

“We think that we can deliver an incredible fan experience,” Jacobs continued. “And we think that you know once they get on and get accustomed to it and start using it, they’re going to be absolutely delighted.”

The deal with DAZN could prove temporary. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league hopes to launch an aggregated streaming hub for local broadcasts beginning with the 2027-28 season.

Caldwell, though, said the Wolves aren’t viewing the partnership with DAZN as a “one-year bridge deal.”

“They’re going to be one of the few partners that’s got a real shot at potentially being the NBA’s aggregated solution,” Caldwell said. “So we feel like this is a great way to get started with them for this season.”

Sports Business Journal reported DAZN would provide guaranteed rights payments for NBA franchises ranging from $8 million to beyond $20 million, depending on market size.

SBJ previously reported the Wolves received $25.9 million in rights fees for the 2023-24 season and $24.1 million in 2024-25 while on FanDuel Sports North. It’s unclear what they received last year, when Main Street missed multiple payments to the Wolves.

“Same ballpark,” Caldwell said when asked how much the Wolves will get from DAZN this season compared to its deal with Main Street. “I don’t want to get into too much specifics, but that was a big factor. We were very impressed with DAZN’s financial capability and willingness to step up.”