Major League Baseball has undergone plenty of changes with its on-field product this decade, with the implementation of the Manfred Man ghost runner, pitch clock, and expansion of ABS to call balls and strikes. Beyond the rules of the game, how fans are able to watch their favorite team from outside the ballpark has been a constant question in the new era of streaming services in place of cable.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been among those teams facing issues related to television rights, as they have bounced between Fox Sports, Bally Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network. MLB and its teams have been working to find a solution that keeps money in the owners' pockets (of course), while also providing enhanced viewing experiences for those at home. In early February, fans got some sort of conclusion after FanDuel continued to miss payments and the organization was forced to find a new way to deliver the game to screens across the country.
The Cardinals announced the creation of Cardinals.TV as the new home for television broadcasts in 2026
Monday afternoon, a release was sent out by Cardinals PR stating that Major League Baseball will be in charge of broadcasting Cardinals games in 2026. This led to the creation of Cardinals.TV, which means that MLB will be the host site for all Cardinals home games starting this season. Beginning February 10, fans will be able to purchase this service for a monthly or annual fee. Because the baseball season only runs from March (including Spring) through September, those seven months would cost about $140, or near-equal to the yearly rate for the full MLB.TV package.
The other option is an annual plan for $99.99 for the entire year, leading to a massive savings even if you only watch during the baseball season. For those in-market fans who "prefer cable, satellite, or streaming, you’ll have uninterrupted access to every in-market game through this new model. MLB brings world-class production capabilities, and we’re excited about what this means for the future of Cardinals broadcasts.” Anuk Karunaratne, the Cardinals' Senior VP of Business Operations, released that quote within the announcement of the new streaming platform in hopes that fans will have easy access to their favorite team for this year and beyond.
The Cardinals are now the eighth different team to make the shift over to MLB's broadcast services, as this has become the norm as teams and companies fight over what makes the most sense in terms of television revenue and the league's revenue sharing agreements. With a lockout (or work stoppage) looming in 2027, that would be an ideal time for the league and owners to attempt to come together and figure out solutions to the many issues related to finances. While problems like player salaries will likely hinder conversations for a long period, hopefully all parties involved can come together to form a positive solution that keeps the owners happy while also providing an accessible, and affordable, option for fans to take in their favorite teams.
