The Tigers announced the launch of Detroit SportsNet, which will broadcast the club’s games this year and those of the NHL’s Red Wings starting in the 2026-27 season. Fans can subscribe for $19.99 a month or $189.99 for a year, allowing them to stream both clubs. The games will also be televised in some form but full cable/satellite details are not yet available.
Until recently, the Tigers were one of several MLB clubs that had a deal with Main Street Sports, formerly known as Diamond Sports Group. That company, which has been operating the FanDuel Sports Network channels since 2025, has faced tough financial times in recent years. They recently missed out on some payments to other MLB clubs. Nine teams that had contracts with the company, one of which was the Tigers, terminated their deals in January.
Of those nine, six of them quickly applied to have Major League Baseball host their broadcasts. The Tigers, the Angels and the Warriors were the three remaining in the sky. Atlanta recently launched its own regional sports network (RSN) called BravesVision.
On the surface, this looks like the Tigers are actually going the MLB route. The club’s announcement today says Detroit SportsNet will be “Sponsored by MLB.” Customers will be able to stream games through the MLB app. One factor that seems to make this very different is that the Red Wings are involved, a logical pairing since the Ilitch family owns both clubs.
Down the line, it will be interesting to see if this leads to a significant difference in net income. Several teams ended up acquiring MLB after the RSN deal fell through. This route can sometimes lead to more viewers as it allows clubs to offer direct-to-consumer broadcasts without blackouts, but it can also lead to less revenue overall. MLB.com’s Travis Sawchik reports that teams in this bucket get about 50% less than before, on average. As of a few years ago, the Tigers were getting about $60MM from their RSN deal. Having the Red Wings and Tigers in the same pack would lead to more subscribers but the revenue would also be split.
The Tigers have had a few notable financial developments this winter. In addition to this RSN situation, they also saw Tarik Skubal file a higher resolution number than anyone expected. He ended up winning his audition and will make $32MM this year, $13MM above the club’s $19MM fill-in figure.
Despite the uncertainty of RSN’s status and Skubal’s big promotion, the team still struggled this winter. They signed a number of free agents, most notably giving the lefty a $115MM guarantee Framber Valdez. They are expected to set a new franchise record in terms of payroll and tax competitive balance.
The broadcast will remain unchanged from previous seasons, and the on-air talent is expected to return. Details on the specific television channels carrying these games will be revealed in the future. It is not yet clear which app will be used to access Red Wings games.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
