The Philadelphia Phillies are the latest team caught up in the collapse of the Regional Sports Network models. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the team has done “preliminary groundwork on what creating their own network would require.”
“It’s an important part of the business,” Phillies president of business operations Sam Fuld told Gelb. “We have a fan base that relies on being delivered the product outside of the walls of CBP. As this landscape changes, it’s important to find ways to deliver the product in the way people are consuming the game these days. So it’s a challenge. … I think we’re all optimistic that we can get to a good place.”
The Phillies are just one of three MLB teams that use NBC Sports as their RSN in 2026. The other two are the San Francisco Giants and the Athletics.
The RSN model has completely collapsed, as more people cut cable and the cost to carry these channels becomes too much. FanDuel Sports Network is set to shut down after this season, per Awful Announcing, joining AT&T SportsNet. That leaves just NBCUniversal as the only player left in that market.
Shifting MLB Landscape Could Lead to Changes to Broadcasting
GettyMLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s plans for local TV rights could change the distribution model forever. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The one thing to monitor will be how MLB intends to handle local broadcasting rights. That situation will likely come after they finish negotiating a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLB Players Association.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred intends to centralize local rights after the 2028 season. That’s why in the league’s opening proposal in CBA negotiations, all local TV revenue would be shared across the league, much like the NFL. The MLBPA is open to that idea, if it opens up teams to spend more on player payroll.
In that avenue, it’s almost certain that the RSN model will become obsolete. This will impact all 30 teams, but the question is how much. With a lot of uncertainty regarding the economics of baseball in the next three years, there’s not much to predict.
From the Phillies’ standpoint, it could mean a divestment from NBCUniversal. The club owns a 25% stake as part of its $2.5 billion TV rights deal with Comcast. The clock is ticking on how long the Phillies get to benefit from that deal.
What’s Next for Phillies?
Right now, the Phillies will remain on NBC Sports. But in 2028 or later, they could have a different provider. It’s just unclear what that would look like, as there are too many moving parts in this situation. Not only for the Phillies, but for MLB as a whole.
That could mean uncertainty for a club with championship aspirations. Their current deal nets them $100 million per year, which has allowed them to field one of the highest payrolls in the league the past five seasons.
The Phillies have six players under contract through the 2029 season: Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Aaron Nola. In their pursuit of a championship, the club has been a big spender.
While the Phillies’ championship window isn’t expected to be affected in the near term, the organization’s preliminary planning reflects how seriously clubs are taking baseball’s rapidly changing media landscape.
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