How to access Cardinals' new direct-to-consumer FanDuel Sports Network subscription

Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals can now officially stream games this year through a direct-to-consumer subscription through FanDuel Sports Network without having to have a traditional cable package that includes it.

Earlier in the offseason, it was announced that the Cardinals had come to terms on an agreement with FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports Midwest) on a revised TV deal that would allow the Cardinals to salvage a majority of their original agreement with Diamond Sports Group before their bankruptcy. In this new agreement, the Cardinals were able to negotiate a direct-to-consumer option, meaning fans could now access games, even in blackout zones, without needing a cable subscription.

This was huge news for fans who have wanted to watch Cardinals games for the last number of years but have been unable to after cord-cutting. Major League Baseball's archaic blackout zones restricted Cardinals fans in Iowa, Arkansas, and Oklahoma from accessing games, most parts of Missouri and Illinois, and even portions of Mississippi, Indiana, Tennesse, and Kentucky. Now those days are gone.

Fans can access the Cardinals' new direct-to-consumer streaming option through FanDuel Sports Network or Amazon Prime

There are two primary ways you can access a direct-to-consumer subscription for Cardinals games this year. The first is through a monthly or year-long subscription to FanDuel Sports Network through their website and app. The link to those packages can be found here.

Through this FanDuel Sports Midwest package, fans will actually receive access to the Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Grizzles for just $19.99 a month of a year-long subscription of $189.99. The Cardinals also offer year-long packages for just Cardinals games at a lower rate through their "Season Pass."

If you have a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, FanDuel Sports Network has made it easy to just add Cardinals games to your Prime Video subscription through an add-on subscription if you prefer that route. You would then be able to watch games through the Amazon Prime Video app, rather than needing to download the FanDuel Sports Network app as well.

Even with fan interest dipping over the last two seasons, this is huge news for one of the largest fanbases in Major League Baseball that spreads across many areas of the United States. Fans should never be unable to watch their favorite teams games in this day and age, so the fact that we can now do so is long overdue. For those of you who have been going without cable for a while now or just want an easier way to watch the Cardinals on the go, that day is finally here.