Southport-Based Sports Company To Close, Lay Off 44 Employees: State Officials

FAIRFIELD, CT — Main Street Sports Group, the Southport-based parent company of the broadcast arm of FanDuel Sports Network, will shut down in April and lay off all 44 of its employees, officials told the Connecticut Department of Labor last week.

"The entire facility will close, including remote workers," Chief Human Resources Officer Meredith Powers wrote to state officials and Fairfield First Selectperson Christine Vitale. "This action is expected to be permanent."

In January, nine Major League Baseball teams — Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays — canceled broadcast contracts with Main Street Sports Group, ESPN reported.

Main Street Sports Group, with offices at 2960 Post Road in Southport, reportedly began missing payments to those teams last year, which prompted the cancellations.

Through FanDuel Sports Network, Main Street Sports Group telecast the games of those teams and other sports teams, but the company has struggled financially for more than a year, including reportedly filing for bankruptcy.

In a statement to Patch, David Preschlack, CEO of Main Street Sports Group, said the company is in discussions over its future, and final decisions have not yet been made.

"FanDuel Sports Network is continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games as we engage in discussions with our partners about our go-forward plans," Preschlack said. "While final decisions have not been made, we have issued WARN notices to employees, as required by law, in connection with potential workforce impacts that could occur in the coming months. Any and all aspects of the WARN notices can be revoked at any time. We remain committed to transparency and fair treatment of our employees."

Besides the pending closure of the Connecticut offices, Main Street Sports Group has also filed letters with the Departments of Labor in Minnesota and Missouri that it intends to close offices in those states and lay off staff, the website Awful Announcing reported.