Tigers News: Local TV deal update, 2025 Opening Day surprise, Josue Briceño

The future of Tigers' broadcasts has been up in the air ever since their last regular season game. Diamond Sports Group, Bally Sports' parent company, filed for bankruptcy in March 2023, and they announced they would be dropping the contracts of multiple teams going forward, including the Tigers.

The Guardians, Brewers, and Twins all brokered deals with MLB to sever ties completely with Bally, but the fates of multiple other teams — the Tigers, Rays, Angels, Cardinals, Marlins, Braves, and Royals — were still to be decided.

Bally announced a rebrand as FanDuel Sports Network in mid-October, which MLB initially objected to in court, but they've since withdrawn their complaint. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to approve or reject Diamond's restructuring plan to come out of bankruptcy, but it seems like the Tigers are betting on it working out for Diamond, because they reached a deal with newly-minted FanDuel Sports Network to keep broadcasts where they've been.

While the length and dollar figure attached to the new agreement are unknown, and all of this could be undone if Diamond's plan is shot down in court, local Tigers broadcasts should still live under the Diamond/formerly Bally umbrella, and will be available on Amazon Prime with an additional subscription.

Tigers' 2025 Opening Day broadcast details, Josue Briceño tearing up the AFL

In more broadcast news, the Tigers will be in primetime on Opening Day for a doubleheader. They'll go out to LA to face the 2024 World Series champion Dodgers. ESPN will broadcast both the Yankees-Brewers game at 3 p.m. ET and Dodgers-Tigers at 7 p.m. ET. The Tigers will spend the entire first week of regular season on the west coast; after facing the Dodgers, they'll head north for three games against the Mariners. Their home opener will be against the White Sox on April 4.

That's a big get for the Tigers after they surprised MLB with their unlikely playoff run in 2024. Things are looking up!

In prospect news, No. 9 prospect Josue Briceño has been making a name for himself in the Arizona Fall League. He currently leads almost every hitting category (he's second in OBP) with a .442/.515/.884 line, and on Wednesday night he extended a hitting streak to seven with his 10th homer of the season.

Briceño is a catcher and first baseman who just completed his first full calendar year in Single-A, though he spent a good chunk of the season on the IL. His power, which has been on full display in the AFL, has been rated as his best tool, but he hasn't showed quite as much pop as expected through his professional career so far (he has 13 career homers since 2022 but 32 doubles).

He, along with No. 6 prospect Thayron Liranzo, appeared in this year's AFL Fall Stars Game, and Liranzo belted a go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth that secured the AL's victory. Here come the Tigers ...