The RSN Collapse: Six New Teams Join MLB’s In-House Broadcast Umbrella

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In a watershed moment for the “death of the RSN,” Major League Baseball officially took control of the local media rights for six additional franchises on Monday, February 2, 2026. The move comes after Main Street Sports Group (operating as FanDuel Sports Network) failed to make scheduled rights payments, prompting a mass exodus of its MLB partners just weeks before Spring Training.

The six teams making the jump to MLB’s in-house production arm are:

St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Kansas City Royals
Miami Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays

The New Distribution Model

For fans of these six teams, the “where to watch” question has a new answer. MLB will now handle the production, filming, and distribution of all 162 games for these clubs.

Cable & Satellite: Games will still be available on traditional television, but on new MLB-branded channels (e.g., Cardinals TV, Reds TV) rather than the former FanDuel/Bally Sports networks.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): Fans can now bypass cable entirely and purchase a local, in-market streaming subscription through the MLB App. The Royals, for example, have already announced a discounted rate of $99.99 per year for this local streaming package.

Blackouts Removed: The most significant victory for fans is the elimination of local blackouts for those who purchase the DTC streaming option.

Financial Impact: A “Fungible” Future

While the transition is a win for fan accessibility, it remains a financial challenge for the front offices. Under the old RSN model, teams received massive, guaranteed annual rights fees. Under the MLB Media umbrella, teams receive variable payments based on actual streaming and advertising revenue. Industry experts estimate that teams may initially see as little as 50% of their former RSN revenue, which could have ripple effects on future player payrolls.

Half the League Under One Roof

With these six additions, MLB now produces and distributes games for 13 teams—nearly half the league. These teams join the:

San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Cleveland Guardians
Minnesota Twins
Washington Nationals (Added Jan 2026)
Seattle Mariners (Added Jan 2026)

The Remaining Outliers

Three other teams—the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Angels—also terminated their deals with Main Street Sports this week but have yet to finalize their 2026 plans. The Braves are reportedly preparing to launch their own independent network, while the Tigers and Angels are still weighing a move to MLB Media versus other third-party streaming platforms like Victory+.