Just as the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to regroup on the field, they’re now facing a much bigger challenge off it-one that hits directly at the heart of their financial stability. The team’s television revenue, long a pillar of their business model, has taken another serious hit heading into 2026.
Here’s the bottom line: the Cardinals are now expected to receive around $20 million from their new broadcast partnership with Major League Baseball. That’s a $40 million drop from the $60 million they were anticipating from their previous deal with Main Street Sports Group, which operates FanDuel Sports Network. And to put that in even sharper perspective, the FanDuel deal itself was already $15 million less than the $75 million they had been getting from Bally Sports, under the umbrella of Diamond Sports Group.
So, in just a few short years, the Cardinals have seen their TV revenue fall by nearly 73%-a staggering figure for a franchise that’s historically been one of the league’s most financially sound.
What Happened?
The dominoes started to fall after the 2023 season, when Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy. That move sent shockwaves through the regional sports network (RSN) landscape, leaving teams like the Cardinals in limbo about how their games would be broadcast-and more importantly, how much they’d be paid for those rights.
In response, St. Louis pivoted.
They struck a new deal with Main Street Sports Group to carry their games on FanDuel Sports Network. The model was a hybrid-offering both cable and a subscription streaming option, aiming to retain traditional viewers while adapting to changing consumption habits.
But that plan didn’t last long. Uncertainty around Main Street’s long-term viability forced the Cardinals to look elsewhere.
Enter Major League Baseball.
The league stepped in to take over the Cardinals’ broadcasts, a move that may end up being a sign of things to come for other teams navigating the crumbling RSN model. But while MLB’s involvement provides stability in terms of access and production, it comes at a steep cost-namely, a dramatically reduced payout.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just a one-year blip. This is a fundamental shift in how teams like the Cardinals-who don’t operate in massive media markets-generate revenue.
For years, RSN deals allowed mid-market franchises to compete financially with the big boys. Now, with those deals drying up or being restructured at a fraction of the value, the gap between teams like the Cardinals and powerhouses like the Dodgers and Yankees is only going to get wider.
And that’s a looming issue for the league as a whole. As MLB heads toward its next collective bargaining agreement, expect TV revenue-and how it's distributed-to be a major sticking point. Because if mid-market teams keep losing out on tens of millions in local broadcast dollars, it’s going to affect everything from payroll flexibility to player acquisition strategies.
What’s Next for St. Louis?
The Cardinals are in uncharted territory. They’ve always been a model of consistency-both competitively and financially.
But this kind of revenue loss forces tough decisions. Do they scale back spending?
Do they look for new revenue streams? Do they push for a more centralized media model within MLB?
Whatever the answers are, one thing is clear: the TV landscape in baseball is changing fast. And for the Cardinals, the challenge now is figuring out how to stay competitive while navigating a financial playing field that’s shifting beneath their feet.