Diamond Sports has reached a local broadcasting agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals, securing both traditional television and digital streaming rights for the team. This new multi-year deal will allow the Cardinals’ games to air on the rebranded FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (formerly Bally Sports Midwest), starting next season.
The Cardinals become the third MLB team to maintain its partnership with Diamond Sports, following similar arrangements with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, despite Diamond dropping 11 of its 12 teams last month due to bankruptcy issues.
Diamond’s CEO, David Preschlack, expressed enthusiasm about the extended partnership with the Cardinals, emphasizing the company’s commitment to high-quality regional broadcasts and expanding access through direct-to-consumer (DTC) options. As Diamond navigates its restructuring, it continues discussions with other MLB teams to explore future distribution arrangements.
In contrast, some MLB teams previously contracted with Diamond, like the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins, have shifted their local broadcasting rights to MLB instead. The Cardinals, however, opted for a renegotiated deal with Diamond, which will involve a reduction in rights fees by over 20% compared to the previous agreement. Under the former terms, the Cardinals were set to receive around $78 million for the 2025 season. A direct-to-consumer streaming option, potentially priced at $15 per month, could help offset some of the revenue loss from the reduced fees.
Other teams, including the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas City Royals, are still working on securing their broadcast plans for 2025.
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