Cardinals Shift Broadcast Control to MLB, Ushering in New Era for Fans
After years of uncertainty surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals’ local broadcast future, clarity has finally arrived.
The team announced Monday that it’s officially parting ways with Main Street Sports-formerly Diamond Sports Group-and handing over its broadcast production to Major League Baseball. It’s a move that reshapes how fans in the St.
Louis market will watch their team and reflects a broader shift across the league.
Starting this season, Cardinals games will be available to stream through a new website, Cardinals.tv, which will serve fans within the local market. The team emphasized that cable and satellite options will remain in play, though the specifics of those deals are still being ironed out.
“Our top priority is making sure that Cardinals fans can watch their team as easily as possible,” said Anuk Karunaratne, the club’s senior VP of business operations. “Whether you prefer cable, satellite, or streaming, you’ll have uninterrupted access to every in-market game through this new model.”
A full-season streaming package will run fans $99.99, or $19.99 per month-pricing that puts the Cardinals in line with other MLB teams who've made similar transitions.
Why the Change Now?
This isn’t just a tech upgrade-it’s the final chapter in a long and messy financial saga. Main Street Sports, which took over Fox’s former regional sports networks after a complicated series of acquisitions and mergers, has been mired in financial instability. The company struggled under the weight of massive debt tied to expensive long-term rights deals-deals that were once the backbone of baseball’s local media revenue model.
That model started to crack in recent years, and the Cardinals felt it firsthand. Last season, the team renegotiated its rights fees, accepting a reduction of up to 20%.
While the contract was honored through 2025, Main Street missed its first scheduled payment for 2026. That failure triggered alarm bells not just in St.
Louis but across the sports world, and it ultimately pushed the Cardinals to join a growing list of teams turning to MLB for broadcast stability.
With this move, the Cardinals become the eighth team to shift their local broadcasts under MLB’s umbrella, joining the likes of the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Rockies, Twins, Padres, Mariners, and most recently, the Nationals.
What Will Change for Fans?
Not much-at least on the surface.
The familiar voices of Chip Caray, Brad Thompson, and Mark Sweeney are expected to stay in the booth, preserving the in-game experience fans know and love. Jim Hayes will return in a more limited role, a change that had been in the works even before the broadcast transition. Meanwhile, Alexa Datt, who had served as a sideline host, has moved on to a similar role with the Nationals.
From a production standpoint, viewers can expect a new graphics package and potentially more pre- and post-game content, produced out of MLB Network’s national studios in New Jersey. Whether the Cardinals will retain their current pre- and post-game show format-often featuring Scott Warmann and Al Hrabosky-remains to be seen. Other MLB-run broadcasts have made those decisions based on local demand and cost, so the final format could still evolve.
As for spring training, the team said broadcast details will be finalized in the coming weeks. The Cardinals open their spring slate on Feb. 21 against the Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
Regardless of network, the broadcast crew is already preparing, and fans can expect robust coverage. All spring games will also be available via KMOX radio or the MLB app’s radio stream.
The Bigger Picture
This shift isn’t just about where fans find the game-it’s part of a broader recalibration of baseball’s economic landscape.
With the move to MLB-managed broadcasts, the Cardinals are expected to take another hit in rights fees. But they’ve already been adjusting, scaling back payroll as they enter a rebuild phase and aligning spending with anticipated revenue.
In the short term, the team doesn’t expect this to constrain baseball operations. In fact, the clarity around the broadcast model may have helped shape some recent roster decisions.
Looking further ahead, MLB is reportedly exploring a unified national streaming platform as early as 2028. That would be a seismic shift, but one that hinges on complex collective bargaining and economic restructuring. For now, though, Cardinals fans can rest easy knowing they’ll still be able to catch every pitch, every play, and every moment-just on a new platform.
In a media landscape that’s rapidly evolving, the Cardinals’ pivot to MLB production is about more than just broadcasts. It’s about stability, accessibility, and keeping fans connected to the game they love.