The St. Louis Cardinals became the eighth Major League Baseball team to shift to MLB-produced broadcasts for 2026, marking another step in the league’s growing takeover of local television rights as regional sports networks continue to collapse. Enter: Cardinals.TV.
MLB News: St. Louis Cardinals Games Moving to $99.99 and $19.99 Subsription Packages Called Cardinals.TV
MLB will handle production and distribution of Cardinals games for the upcoming season, the team announced. Fans in the Cardinals’ television footprint can purchase a season pass to Cardinals.TV for $99.99 or subscribe monthly for $19.99, with sales launching Feb 10.
The move ends a 32-year run with the same broadcast partner, most recently known as FanDuel Sports Network and previously branded as Bally Sports Midwest and Main Street Sports. The Cardinals join seven other clubs that exited partnerships with struggling regional sports networks and handed broadcast rights to Major League Baseball.
“Ensuring Cardinals fans can watch their team is our top priority, and we’re pleased to be able to offer a convenient, direct-to-consumer streaming option at Cardinals.TV, in addition to cable and satellite options that will be announced soon,” said Anuk Karunaratne, Cardinals Senior Vice President of Business Operations, according to Cards’ beat writer John Denton.
Cardinals Join Growing List of MLB-Produced Teams
The Cardinals are the latest franchise to make the transition following similar moves by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals.
The shift reflects the broader collapse of the regional sports network model. According to sources, Main Street Sports Group, the parent company behind FanDuel Sports Network, missed an expected payment to the Cardinals in December 2025. Rather than risk being locked into a bankruptcy process, the Cardinals terminated their contract alongside multiple other teams.
The Diamondbacks and Padres became the first two teams with MLB-produced broadcasts in 2023 after Diamond Sports Group dropped them during bankruptcy proceedings. The league’s production model has since expanded as more regional sports networks face financial instability.
Streaming and Cable Options Both Available for 2026
Cardinals.TV provides the direct-to-consumer streaming option, with subscriptions available starting Feb 10. The Cardinals plan to announce cable and satellite distribution details at a later date.
The MLB production model typically includes both streaming packages and traditional cable/satellite carriage, allowing teams to reach fans across multiple platforms. The Diamondbacks offered a similar $99.99 season pass through DBACKS.TV last year, establishing a baseline for MLB-produced broadcast pricing.
The Cardinals will broadcast all 162 regular-season games in 2026 regardless of platform, ensuring comprehensive coverage throughout the season.
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