How to watch Tigers on TV in 2026 with and without cable under new broadcast deal

The regional sports network era is officially — and mercifully — over for baseball in the Motor City.

Ilitch Sports & Entertainment announced Monday that the Detroit Tigers will split from FanDuel Sports Network, with Major League Baseball taking control of production, broadcast and distribution of Tigers games beginning in 2026. The NHL's Detroit Red Wings will follow in 2026-27 in what IS+E called a “first of its kind partnership.”

FanDuel Sports Network (operated by Main Street Sports Group) has been unstable for two seasons. After all the missed payments, contract exits and NBA teams jumping ship, the Tigers — along with all the remaining MLB clubs under that umbrella — are now out.

MLB Media now controls the local rights for 14 teams, including Detroit. Instead of relying on a third-party RSN, MLB will produce and distribute Tigers broadcasts directly. Here's what it means, and how fans can watch in 2026.

How to Watch the Tigers in 2026 with and without cable

Cable and satellite customers

If you have cable or satellite, you will still be able to watch Tigers games through traditional providers. IS+E says games will be available through “the same options that have been recently available,” meaning Comcast/Xfinity, DirecTV and other major cable/satellite packages.

Exact channel placement and pricing haven’t been released yet, but the expectation is that Tigers games will be carried locally just as they have been — only distributed by MLB instead of FanDuel.

Cord cutters

The key promise from IS+E in Monday's announcement is that there will be a single, year-round subscription option for fans. This is where things get interesting — and potentially better.

MLB intends to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription for Tigers games. That likely means a standalone Tigers streaming package with no local blackout restrictions that can be accessed via smart TVs, phones, tablets and other streaming devices.

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but comparable MLB-run markets have ranged roughly between $15–$20 per month or seasonal bundles. For fans frustrated with blackout rules or cable-only access, this could be the cleanest solution Detroit has had in years.

What about the broadcast crew?

The good news is that familiar voices should stay the same, including TV play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti, radio play-by-play announcer Dan Dickerson and TV analysts Andy Dirks and Dan Petry.

For fans who have embraced Benetti’s energy and Dickerson’s steady presence, that continuity matters in creating a seamless transition to this new production and distribution model.

How much will it cost?

Instead of being at the mercy of a collapsing RSN model, the Tigers now sit inside MLB’s centralized media strategy. That likely means more stability, more digital flexibility, potentially better production consistency and less long-term broadcast uncertainty. It also aligns Detroit with a growing trend. MLB is slowly pulling local broadcasts back under its own umbrella as the RSN system fades.

Of course, price is the one piece of this that fans are waiting on. Will it be affordable? Will it bundle Tigers and Red Wings? Will it compete with league-wide MLB.TV? We don’t know yet. But the stated goal of a single, year-round subscription suggests IS+E understands that fans are tired of piecing together five different apps just to follow their teams.