Royals Shift Broadcast Strategy, Partner with MLB for 2026 Season Coverage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - There’s a new chapter unfolding for Royals fans, and it’s not on the field-it’s on the screen. The Kansas City Royals are shaking things up for the 2026 season, announcing a fresh broadcasting approach that puts Major League Baseball in the driver’s seat.
Starting this season, Royals games will be produced and distributed directly by MLB, with streaming available on Royals.TV as well as through the MLB app. For fans who prefer the traditional route, cable and satellite options aren’t going away-though the team says details on those providers and channels will be revealed as Opening Day approaches.
This move marks the end of the Royals’ run with the FanDuel Sports Kansas City regional sports network. It’s part of a broader trend we’ve seen across the league, as teams and MLB look to take more control over how games reach fans-especially in a media landscape that’s shifting rapidly toward streaming.
But here’s the good news for Royals faithful: while the platform may be changing, the voices you’ve come to know and trust are staying put. The broadcast team-Ryan Lefebvre, Jake Eisenberg, Rex Hudler, Jeremy Guthrie, Joel Goldberg, and Jeff Montgomery-will all be back behind the mic. That continuity matters, especially for a fan base that’s built strong connections with these personalities over the years.
Royals President of Business Operations Cullen Maxey called the move “a big win for our fans,” highlighting MLB’s leadership in delivering high-quality streaming content. And he’s not wrong-MLB has been aggressive in recent years about expanding its digital footprint, and this partnership gives the Royals a chance to tap into that infrastructure while reaching a broader, more tech-savvy audience.
So what does this mean for the average fan? More flexibility, for starters.
Whether you’re watching from your living room or streaming on the go, Royals.TV and the MLB app give fans more ways to stay connected to the team. And with the same familiar voices calling the action, the experience promises to feel both fresh and familiar.
We’ll have to wait for the final word on channel listings and distribution partners, but one thing’s clear: the Royals are leaning into the future of sports broadcasting. And if the product on the field matches the ambition off it, Kansas City could be in for a season worth tuning in for-no matter how you choose to watch.