Red Wings Just Changed A Huge Part Of The Game Day Experience

The Detroit Red Wings embrace a new era of accessibility and fan engagement with their upcoming broadcast shift to Detroit SportsNet and the MLB app starting in the 2026-27 season.

The Red Wings are taking a new route to the screen this season, moving their games to Detroit SportsNet, a channel operated by Major League Baseball.

Detroit announced Friday, Sept. 18 that its 2026-27 season will air on Detroit SportsNet, confirming the switch from FanDuel Sports Network that had been expected alongside the Tigers. The move comes after the Red Wings and Tigers, both owned by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, announced in February that they were shifting to MLB Media following a split with FSND.

“We're thrilled to begin our first season of Red Wings hockey on Detroit SportsNet with an incredible broadcast team,” said Ilitch Sports + Entertainment president Ryan Gustafson in a statement. “In partnership with Major League Baseball, we focused on giving fans access to games however they want to watch - on television throughout our home market, and through a reliable streaming platform.”

The broadcast crew stays familiar. Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond will again serve as the lead TV voices, while Stu Grimson will step in for Redmond at times. Daniella Bruce, Logan Reever and Trevor Thompson will also be part of the coverage, with several familiar names carrying over from the recent FSND setup.

The first game on Detroit SportsNet is set for Thursday, Sept. 24, when the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres in a preseason matchup at 7 p.m. ET.

That will be Detroit’s third preseason game. The first two - Monday at Columbus at 7 p.m.

ET and Tuesday at Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. ET - will stream live for Michigan-area fans on DetroitRedWings.com.

For viewers, Detroit SportsNet is expected to be carried by most major broadcast providers in Michigan, including XFinity, DirecTV, Fubo and AT&T U-Verse. In-market fans with a Detroit SportsNet subscription, either through a cable provider or directly through the channel, will also be able to stream the Red Wings through a dedicated Detroit SportsNet tab on the MLB App.

And there’s one more change on the ice: the Red Wings also announced a new jersey patch sponsor for 2026-27. Metro Detroit-based DQS Solutions & Staffing will take over the patch, with the company described in a press release as one that “provides scalable workforce and security services designed to help employers solve complex operational challenges. DQS specializes in building and managing launch-ready workforces that can flex with production schedules, seasonal demand and changing operational needs.”

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