As the new MLB season approaches, Miami Marlins fans are facing a shifting media landscape. The team's games will now be broadcast through a new direct-to-consumer platform operated by Major League Baseball, rather than the now-defunct regional sports network FanDuel. While this move offers some conveniences, it also introduces new complexities for fans trying to keep up with their favorite team.
What This Means for Marlins Viewers
The Marlins have terminated their deal with FanDuel after the network's parent company, Main Street Sports Group, missed a rights fee payment in January. This comes amid broader financial troubles for regional sports networks across the country. As reported by the Miami Herald, the Marlins will now stream their games on Marlins.tv for an as-yet undetermined subscription cost.
Comcast, the area's largest cable provider, will air the games on a dedicated channel, while DirecTV is expected to add a stand-alone MLB-operated channel. Fans will also be able to access the games through deals with Charter, Cox, and FuboTV. The bigger picture here is that sports fans are being asked to navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape, with teams and leagues striking their own streaming deals outside the traditional cable bundle.
Implications for the Wider Sports Media Landscape
The Marlins' move is just the latest example of the seismic shifts happening in sports broadcasting. As reported by AOL, the financially-strapped Main Street Sports Group, which owns the FanDuel regional sports networks, is on the brink of collapse, with a potential sale to DAZN falling through. This leaves teams like the Marlins and Miami Heat scrambling to find new TV homes.
What this really means is that the days of the all-encompassing regional sports network may be numbered. Leagues and teams are increasingly opting to control their own distribution, either through direct-to-consumer platforms or partnerships with broader streaming services. This shift could have major implications for how fans access and consume live sports in the years to come. As the Miami Herald reported, the NBA, NFL, and MLB are all making major moves into the streaming space, with deals on services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Peacock.
For Miami sports fans, the Marlins' new TV package is just the latest wrinkle in an evolving media landscape. While the team's games will be more readily available, the patchwork of streaming options and standalone channels required to follow all their local teams is a far cry from the simplicity of the traditional cable bundle. As this trend continues, sports fans may need to become increasingly savvy in navigating the changing media ecosystem.