CLEVELAND, Ohio — Opening day is two weeks away and Guardians fans are wondering when and where they’ll be able to watch their team on television.
The team’s direct to consumer app has been well received, but it’s not for everybody. A lot of people want to sit in their living room or man cave and watch the Guards on their flat screen TV.
More Guardians coverage
To date, details on just how this is going to happen have been scant.
MLB and the Guardians are confident the games will be available to all viewers in time for the season opener on March 27 against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Right now, MLB is on the clock. Where an existing regional sports network would already have its distribution deals with cable providers and satellite companies in place, MLB is starting from scratch. Diamond Sports Group, now known as Main Street Sports Group after reorganizing following bankruptcy, dropped the Guardians at the end of the 2024 season. Cleveland’s original deal with Diamond, branded as Bally Sports Great Lakes, ran through 2027.
The good thing is MLB has done this before. It picked up the production and distribution of the Padres and Diamondbacks’ broadcasts when Diamond dropped their rights during the 2023 season. Before the 2024 season, in a move similar to what’s happening with the Guardians, MLB took over production and distribution of the Rockies’ broadcasts.
At this moment, MLB is negotiating with different cable and satellite outlets to carry the Guardians' games. As in most negotiations, things don’t reach an agreement without deadline pressure. Opening day is the definition of deadline pressure.
Josh Clark, MLB senior vice president of content distribution, is negotiating these deals for the Guardians.
“We are in the process of negotiating wide distribution for Guardians games during the 2025 season,” said Clark. “These agreements traditionally get finalized closer to the start of the season. Once complete, we will work with the team to share details for how fans can watch.”
When MLB took over the Padres' broadcasts, it reached deals with local cable operators DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse, Cox, Spectrum and FuboTV to carry Padres' games. Those deals gave the Padres the ability to reach 3.264 million homes compared to 1.130 under Diamond.
It’s believed MLB is negotiating similar deals for the Guardians. Spectrum and DirecTV are two of MLB’s main targets regarding the Guardians. But the expectation is that the games will be available on the same providers that carried the Guardians on Bally Sports Great Lakes.
When MLB announced in October that it was taking over Guardians broadcasts, it said in a statement that the games would reach 4.86 million homes compared to the 1.45 million homes that were reached in 2024. One of the reasons was the Guardians' new direct to consumer streaming option that has been available to fans for free for a limited number of spring training games in Arizona.
The app, when used in the Guardians’ TV territory, allows MLB to lift the blackout for Guardians games previously distributed on Bally Sports Great Lakes.
“Fans of the other clubs MLB has worked with have been very pleased with the wide distribution in their markets and a great viewing experience of the games,” said Clark. “We’re confident Guardians fans will feel the same way this season.”
Cleveland’s deal with MLB will not be as lucrative as its old one with Diamond. It’s estimated the Guardians received $55 million in 2023 and were scheduled to make between $55 million and $60 million in 2024 when their deal was restructured for less money.
The drop in local TV revenue limited the amount of money the Guardians could spend this offseason. Their biggest free agent deal went to Shane Bieber, who signed to a two-year, $26 million deal. The deal includes a player option worth $16 million for 2026 with a $4 million buyout. They also signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year $12 million deal.
The Guardians’ opening day payroll for the 26-man roster is estimated to be $92 million. Last year it was $98 million when they won 92 games and the AL Central.
It’s unclear how much the Guardians will receive from MLB in the deal. They receive the revenue from the cable and satellite providers, the advertising that is sold during the game, and from subscriptions to the team’s streaming app.
When MLB and the Guardians announce what satellite and cable networks will carry the games, the channel will be identified as CLEGuardians.TV.
Until then, Guardians fans need to practice patience, something they could write a book about.