After enjoying more than two decades of continuity watching games on South Florida’s regional sports networks, Marlins fans face a new media world in the weeks ahead.
The team’s departure from financially strapped FanDuel Sports Sun — whose parent company, Main Street Sports, remains on life support — means fans will need to choose one of several options to watch games.
One of those options — streaming the games on Marlins.TV — gained more clarity in recent days when the team disclosed that a subscription for access to those 157 games will be $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the season; Marlins season-ticket holders get half price off the season rate.
Viewers with a Smart TV or Firestick can stream those games on their televisions.
That full-season Marlins.TV package went on sale on Tuesday on Marlins.com.
Because the Marlins’ broadcast territory is limited to Florida and a sliver of Alabama, the team says out-of-market Marlins fans should sign up for the Marlins package through MLB.TV.
The cost for the single-team package through MLB.TV is the same as the cost through Marlins.TV: $99.99 for the season or $19.99 per month.
Marlins fans in Florida can gain access to games for the 29 other teams, besides the Marlins, by paying another $100 for the season-long bundle package available on Marlins.TV.
Marlins fans outside of the team’s broadcast territory can gain access to Marlins games and 28 other teams also by paying another $100 for the season-long bundle package through MLB.TV.
So Marlins fans in South Florida and elsewhere who want to stream games for the Marlins and for all or nearly all other teams will pay $199.99 for the season, except for Marlins season ticket holders, who will pay $149.99 instead.
Here’s what else is known about Marlins distribution:
▪ Marlins games will be available on a standalone channel on Comcast, for an additional fee. The channel number and fee have not been disclosed.
▪ DirecTV very likely will make Marlins games available for satellite and streaming subscribers, for an undetermined additional fee, just as they have done for all of the other teams who, like the Marlins, have opted for the MLB Media package.
▪ Fans can watch games, for an additional fee, on Fubo. The charge hasn’t been announced.
▪ The Marlins don’t yet know if the games will be available on YouTube TV, Breezeline, Hotwire, Dish Network and Breezeline — five of South Florida’s other major cable and satellite providers.
But even if the Marlins/MLB do not strike deals with those companies, Marlins games can still be streamed in those homes through Marlins.TV.
▪ A local channel — 4, 10 or 39 — will simulcast a limited portion of games. That deal is still being negotiated.
One potential point of confusion: Marlins fans who opt to receive games by signing up through MLB.TV might face an additional charge from ESPN, though it’s avoidable.
Last year, MLB licensed its out-of-market streaming package to ESPN for use in the network’s new direct-to-consumer app, a situation that will result in additional costs for some viewers who opt to get the package through MLB.TV.
The website Awful Announcing summarized the situation, noting:
“With few exceptions, MLB.TV subscribers will also need to be ESPN Unlimited subscribers to purchase the package. In other words, MLB.TV is now behind a double paywall. You’ll need to purchase MLB.tv, which is priced at $150 per season for new subscribers and $135 for returning subscribers, in addition to the ESPN Unlimited plan, which is $30 per month.”
But there are ways to circumvent those charges:
1). Existing MLB.TV subscribers will be renewed automatically through their MLB.TV account. They will not need an ESPN Unlimited subscription.
2). New MLB.TV customers can subscribe directly through ESPN platforms and will receive ESPN Unlimited free for one month, or can subscribe through MLB.TV instead.
3). MLB.TV subscribers can cancel the ESPN Unlimited subscription during their free one-month trial and still retain access to MLB.TV throughout the entire season.
4). If you already have access to ESPN Unlimited through your cable, satellite, or virtual TV provider, there’s no need to pay the extra $30 per month.
5). For 2025, all MLB.TV subscribers can access the service on either the MLB App or ESPN App.
And this is key: The Marlins say that nobody who orders Marlins games through MLB.TV will be asked to pay an ESPN Unlimited fee unless they specifically order the package through ESPN.
MLB’s in-house distribution and production division will be handling local coverage for about half of the 30 teams this season. A few other teams that have been impacted by the FanDuel financial mess — including the Braves — have suggested they might start their own TV network.
Teams that move from regional sports networks — which pay an upfront rights fee — to MLB’s in-house media arm can expect a drop in TV revenue, sometimes a significant drop, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In 2026, MLB is adopting an “eat what you kill“ model for local media rights, where team revenue is directly tied to individual performance in generating streaming, advertising, and cable deals.
This and that
As part of the new megadeal that gives the NFL a 10% percent stake in ESPN — and ESPN ownership of NFL Network and more — ESPN will televise 28 games each season instead of 25.
But ESPN will no longer carry overlapping ABC and ESPN games on Monday nights, something it did on six occasions during the past two seasons.
NFL Network’s package will shrink from 10 games to three. The NFL also took back four games and will sell those independently.
The league will play nine international games next season, with the goal of having a full season out of those games within a few years. Those international package of games could be sold to a single rights-holder.
The NFL will take over NFL Network at some point in April, at which point NFL Network talent likely will begin appearing on ESPN and vice versa.
Though NFL Network’s Sunday pre-game studio hosts and analysts bid farewell to viewers on Sunday, ESPN has given no indication that will end all of NFL Net’s live studio programming.
▪ The NFL will continue to operate NFL+ and NFL.com and will produce RedZone’s Sunday broadcasts and sell its digital rights.
Though the NFL is in the middle of 11-year deals with CBS, Fox Amazon Prime and ESPN, the league is expected to try to re-negotiate these deals at some point later this year.
Commissioner Roger Goodell hosted several media executives, including Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, in his booth during the Super Bowl, and Netflix could emerge as a contender for a package of games beyond its two Christmas games.
▪With Mike Tirico hosting NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage, Noah Eagle will call NBC’s first NBA All-Star Game since early this century at 5 p.m. Sunday, flanked by Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford.
At 29, Eagle will become the youngest person to announce an NBA All-Star Game on network television.