MLB producing, distributing Padres games
Major League Baseball took over production and distribution of all San Diego Padres locally-distributed games starting on Wednesday, May 31 when the Padres faced the Miami Marlins. The new arrangement, which gives fans the option to watch on television or stream digitally, expands the reach of Padres games from approximately 1.130 million homes to approximately 3.264 million homes in the Padres home television territory. The increase of 2.131 million homes marks a +189% jump in reach.
Fans in the Padres home television territory are now able to watch games on linear television listed as San Diego Padres on the following channels:
As a result of the new arrangement, Padres fans can now obtain a new direct-to-consumer streaming subscription for $19.99 per month or $74.99 for the rest of the season by registering at MLB.TV. This offer is only for Padres fans in the Club’s Home Television Territory and is a separate service than the MLB.TV out of market package. By offering a direct-to-consumer streaming option on MLB.TV in the Club’s territory for the first time, MLB is able to lift the blackout for Padres games previously distributed on Bally Sports San Diego. Fans can also find more information about the availability of Padres games at Padres.com/tunein.
“As Commissioner Manfred previously stated, Major League Baseball is ready to produce and distribute Padres games to fans throughout Padres territory,” said Noah Garden, MLB Chief Revenue Officer. “While we’re disappointed that Diamond Sports Group failed to live up to their contractual agreement with the Club, we are taking this opportunity to reimagine the distribution model, remove blackouts on local games, improve the telecast, and expand the reach of Padres games by more than 2 million homes.”
“Through the power of Major League Baseball and the Padres, we are working to elevate the game broadcast experience for all Padres fans,” said Billy Chambers, MLB Executive Vice President, Local Media. “New technology, better picture quality and increased access are just a few of the items we are working on to better tell the story each and every night.”
“We have been preparing for this groundbreaking moment,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner. “The Padres are excited to be the first team to partner with Major League Baseball to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option through MLB.TV without blackouts while preserving our in-market distribution through traditional cable and satellite television providers. Our fans will now have unprecedented access to Padres games through both digital and traditional platforms throughout San Diego and beyond.”
The Padres primary TV broadcasters Don Orsillo, Mark Grant, and Bob Scanlan will continue to serve in their existing roles, while 97.3 The Fan’s radio team will remain in place as well with Jesse Agler and Tony Gwynn Jr. calling games from the booth. Fans can continue to expect the highest quality Padres game broadcasts fueled by Major League Baseball’s expertise at producing and distributing live games. Since 2009, Major League Baseball has owned and operated MLB Network, which has produced live games for 15 seasons, been critically praised for its content, and won 41 National Sports Emmy Awards across 13 different categories. Major League Baseball was the first professional sports league to live-stream a regular season game on August 26, 2002. Last season, baseball fans streamed more than 11 billion minutes of live baseball games and content on MLB.TV, a record for the service that it is on pace to break again in 2023.