The IFL has announced a streaming deal with FanDuel Sports Network.. this is a good thing, right?
- Trey
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The offseason into 2026 has seen a lot of action and news so far, but arguably none have been bigger than the streaming deal that the IFL announced this week with the FanDuel Sports Network:
“Beginning in 2026, FanDuel Sports Network will deliver 60 live IFL matchups across its family of networks, as well as the FanDuel Sports Network App.”
“As part of the deal, FanDuel Sports Network will also become the official home of Sunday Night Indoor Football—a new primetime showcase airing every Sunday at 7:30 PM ET. Each week, fans can expect fast-paced action, dynamic storytelling, and the electric atmosphere that defines the IFL experience.”
There is much more to be announced when it comes to the full breakdown of streaming and live television for the the IFL, but this deal is a pretty solid start with a name brand that sports fans are very familiar with if they’ve watched any sporting event this decade.
The FanDuel Sports Network hosting Sunday Night Indoor Football every Sunday is gonna be big opportunity for the teams, players and coaches alike to get a chance to shine in prime time on Sunday nights. Not to mention the IFL National Championship game!
Speaking of the IFL National Championship game..
Me and my pals Brent Stover & Kurtiss Riggs at the 2025 Natty, nbd
(If you think I am gonna pass up an opportunity to post that pic, you are sorely mistaken.)
Anyways, when first announced, I did have some questions of my own about how this would all work — specifically with the regional nature of how the FanDuel Sports Network is set up.
Traditionally, it has been organized so that you could purchase the ability to view sporting events in your market across multiple sports (i.e. in Central Florida you’d have a package for the Orlando Magic, Tampa Bay Lightning & Tampa Bay Rays; Eastern Tennessee would have access to the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, Nashville Predators, Memphis Grizzlies, etc).
But the issue with that is you are locked in regionally and ‘blacked out’ from games featuring teams outside of your market. That was a fear of mine, but according to multiple sources familiar with the situation, everyone nationwide will be able to view the IFL games included in this deal.
I don't know the specifics of how that will all work just yet, but we are still 4+ months from the season kicking off. There's still time. But something else stood out to me from that portion of the announcement we shared earlier:
“Beginning in 2026, FanDuel Sports Network will deliver 60 live IFL matchups across its family of networks, as well as the FanDuel Sports Network App”
There will be 119 games played in the IFL in 2026, but only 60 of them will be on FanDuel Sports Network. What does that mean for the remaining 59? The announcements seem to just be getting started, and it feels like something regarding the remaining 59 is next up.
The week of Thanksgiving is historically a slow-ish news week for releases of things like that, so I would anticipate hearing "phase 2" of streaming information the week of 12/1. Could that end up being on another streaming partner?
There has been some early skepticism about the roll out so far, particularly around pricing and what that may look like to get all of the channels and streaming providers necessary to view all of the IFL games next year, which I think is fair to discuss but entirely too early to really fully judge. Once all the information is out, then I think it is fair to view it as a whole and go from there.
But Trey, what about the IFL Network?
Great question. Another point of conversation that I have seen with the IFL Network is people saying, "LOL I guess IFL Network didn't work, huh?"
This deal actually says the opposite, in my opinion.
The point that was hammered home time and time again last year by Commissioner Tryon (see linked interview below) was that the IFL Network was essentially a proof of concept and intended to gather information and answer the questions, "What are the demographics of the IFL audience? Who is our audience?"
I'd be willing to bet that data and information helped secure not only the FanDuel Sports Network deal but brand partnerships that will be rolled out in the offseason leading up to the 2026 season kickoff.
I would also anticipate the IFL Network still being around in some capacity in 2026. It would make sense to see it used to house games on-demand 48-72 hours after they are played live on FDSN or mystery streaming partner #2.
But if that is the case, I would love to see the IFL Network be a free or freemium product for fans to watch old games and engage with the brand. The opportunity for paid branded content is there to help subsidize it and it would help collect even more of that sweet, sweet demographics data. Mix in some actual team content and you have an entertainment hub to continuously engage with your diehard fans.
I think this is a really great start, but the announcements are far from over. It just feels like there is more to come with all of this and we'll get the full picture here at some point.