Positive revenue trend might give Tigers' ownership the capacity to dream big

Although the Detroit Tigers backed into the playoffs following an epic collapse, the arrow is clearly trending up for the franchise. After several years of doldrums; back-to-back playoff appearances, a budding young core, and a well-stocked pipeline of prospects ready to make the leap have Detroit well-positioned for the present and the future.

The fan excitement has been rejuvenated, too. Viewership of Tigers' games in 2025 on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit was up 54% for combined streaming and traditional TV, and 101% for traditional TV alone. The average game audience of 302,600 was the sixth-highest in baseball, and their 4.59 average local market rating was the third-best mark in the sport.

While the deal the Tigers signed with FanDuel Sports Network's parent company ahead of the 2025 season is rumored to have a lower rights fee than in the past, this increase, which brings Detroit back toward the numbers of the last golden era from 2006-2014, opens up opportunities to drive other revenue streams and reinvest in the product on the field.

Tigers' stark increase in TV viewership should have the front office thinking big

While Scott Harris talks about keeping roles open for Detroit's top prospects, the club must not lose sight of where they are in the baseball landscape. For one thing, being fringe contenders will only work with the fans for so long.

Prospects like Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark have serious superstar potential, so working them in is a great way to build a contender (and possibly a perennial powerhouse). But getting too cute with the next tier of youngsters rather than spending money in free agency would have the opposite effect.

Now is the time for the Tigers to think big. They need to not only supplement their young core with savvy veteran additions, but must also reach for the stars.

When thinking about the future, the Tigers need to think back to their past and remember the star power that was once present in Detroit thanks to Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Victor Martinez, and several others.

For one, that means putting to bed the silly Tarik Skubal trade rumors and getting a deal done with the ace lefty. For another, it means being active and aggressive in both the trade and free-agent markets, and being unafraid to part with dollars and prospects to build a World Series-caliber club.

The Tigers, whose $157.6 million total 2025 payroll allocation ranked 17th in the league, need to remember that they were once one of the league's biggest spenders. Capitalizing on the renewed fan interest and reinvesting back into the team can get them into that realm again.

In order to do so, they need to be bold, think decisively, and be willing to take risks. If they do, fan interest will only continue to grow, and dynastic levels of success might be on the horizon. It's all right there in front of the Tigers; they just need to reach out and take it.