MLB Takes Over Broadcasts for Six Teams in 2026

Navigating the Shifting Sands of MLB Broadcasts

This article takes a closer look at how Major League Baseball’s local broadcast deals keep changing. Lately, the league’s stepped up to produce and distribute games for more teams on its own.

We’ll poke around at why this is happening, what it means for fans trying to catch games, and how teams are feeling the pinch when it comes to revenue. There’s also the bigger picture—MLB’s long-term strategy as regional sports networks (RSNs) hit some roadblocks.

The MLB Takes Center Stage for More Teams

Big news for several clubs: MLB plans to directly manage local broadcasts for six more teams starting in 2026. That’s a pretty major shift, as the league keeps moving away from the old RSN model.

MLB’s aiming to get content straight to fans, sidestepping the traditional channels that have been stumbling lately.

The Departure from Main Street Sports

This whole change kicked off after nine teams cut ties with Main Street Sports. You might remember them as Diamond Sports, Bally Sports, or even FanDuel Sports.

Apparently, Main Street Sports missed some key payments, and that was the last straw for those clubs. Now, MLB will handle broadcasts for the Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Royals, Cardinals, and Reds in 2026.

Remaining Broadcast Puzzles

Six teams have made the jump, but three from that original group of nine are still figuring things out. The Braves might launch their own network—pretty gutsy, honestly.

The Tigers and Angels could also hand over their broadcast rights to MLB soon. Feels like the league’s slowly taking over more and more of the show.

The Impact of MLB’s Direct Broadcast Model

This isn’t the first time MLB’s taken charge of local broadcasts. Back in 2025, the league stepped in for the Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Twins, and Guardians.

That approach has changed the way fans watch baseball and how teams bring in money. Not everyone loves it, but it’s definitely shaking things up.

Enhanced Fan Accessibility and the End of Blackouts

For fans, one of the biggest wins is the chance to finally ditch regional blackouts. MLB’s selling direct-to-consumer streaming, so it’s way easier to keep up with your team—even if you’re out of market.

They’ve also mostly kept local announcers on board. That helps keep the broadcasts feeling familiar, which is honestly pretty important for most fans.

The Revenue Conundrum for Teams

But here’s the catch: teams aren’t making as much money as they did with the old RSN deals. By most estimates, the MLB-controlled model pays out about half what RSNs used to.

That drop in income is already changing how teams operate. Some have had to cut back on spending, and it’s led to some noticeable roster moves.

* The trade of Juan Soto from the Padres
* Carlos Correa’s move from the Twins

These big-name exits really show how the new broadcast setup is putting financial pressure on certain clubs.

MLB’s Long-Term Vision and Challenges

Commissioner Rob Manfred keeps talking about the league’s dream to build a unified streaming service—something like MLB.TV, but without those annoying local blackouts.

Getting control over the broadcast rights for about half the league is a big step toward that dream.

Recently, ESPN picked up some local rights for five of those teams. Other networks have jumped in too.

MLB’s been splitting and reselling broadcasting packages after the collapse of some regional sports networks. It’s a pretty creative approach, honestly.

Still, the road ahead? Not so simple.

A lot of the bigger-market teams are happy with their current, stable RSN deals.

If MLB wants to expand its direct broadcasting, it’s going to hit a wall until those contracts finally run out—some don’t end until after 2028.

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on December 1, 2026.

MLB really needs broadcast stability until then. Nobody wants ratings to tank or future rights deals to get shaky.

That probably explains why they’re jumping on every troubled RSN situation so quickly.
 
Here is the source article for this story: MLB To Take Over Broadcasts For Six Additional Teams