The Twins’ complicated TV journey appears headed for another change, though at this point there are more unknowns than sure facts about a reported agreement between MLB and ESPN.
Per The Athletic: “Major League Baseball and ESPN have a framework agreement that would give the network the exclusive rights to sell all out-of-market regular-season games digitally and in-market games for five clubs over the next three years.”
The Twins are one of those five teams because they are under MLB control, along with the Guardians, Rockies, Diamondbacks and Padres.
I had heard recently that this was a possibility, so it wasn’t surprising to see the report. But what it all means and a lot of the key details are unknown at this point. The deal, if it does cross the finish line, reportedly wouldn’t be finalized until next month.
But there are some key takeaways that I want to get into at the start of today’s 10 things to know:
- The news comes as ESPN makes a bigger play in the digital space with a $29.99 per month standalone bundle. It also comes about six months after ESPN opted out of its deal with MLB and could signify a mending of fences of sorts between the two entities.
- Of particular significance is that the deal, which would reportedly start next year, would include ESPN paying rights fees that are unknown but reportedly “substantial” for a package of national games and the right to show games from the Twins through its platform. The Twins as recently as 2023 received nearly $55 million from Diamond Sports to show games on FanDuel Sports North. That number shrunk, though by an undisclosed amount, in the final year of that deal in 2024. This year the Twins switched to MLB.TV, with the league taking over operations, but in that model their only revenue comes from subscriptions and advertising. That has been a direct hit to the team’s revenue and explains at least some of their recent cost-cutting.
- So how would fans watch games if this comes to pass in 2026? Those are the details that seem the murkiest at the moment. It essentially sounds like ESPN would be a distributor of sorts for MLB.TV, with fans either able to buy access to games through ESPN’s standalone bundle or as an add-on to having ESPN through a traditional cable/satellite package. But again, The Athletic story contains a lot of “not fully clear” or “likely” caveats. That’s consistent with what I’ve heard, with details still being worked out. It ultimately might not work or look all that different from how it does this year, but again this season was already a considerable change from previous years.
- MLB eventually hopes to be able to bundle local and national rights to all 30 teams under a new economic model that more evenly divides revenue. Economic disparities between the haves and have-nots in MLB are considerable and will be a major focus of negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement after the 2026 season.
- Of note specifically with the Twins: In addition to making the switch to MLB.TV this year, they also offered a 10-game package of local games available over the air on Fox 9. That’s expected to continue and likely even expand with more over-the-air games in 2026.
- The potential for more TV revenue could also be driving expansion to 32 teams and a likely realignment of divisions down the road. Phil Miller touched on that in the always excellent Extra Innings newsletter Friday.
- A loyal Daily Delivery podcast listener and Twins fan for more than 50 years wrote to me recently with a lament: “I have never disliked a team as much as I do this one.” I addressed his most specific complaint on today’s episode.
- Will we see Taj Bradley and Mick Abel make their Twins starting pitching debuts this weekend against the White Sox? That seems like a strong possibility, and I’m all for it.
- Jim Souhan wrote about 10 possibilities (not all serious) for the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback. On Friday’s podcast, I wondered just how important the backup QB is this year.
- Also on Friday’s podcast, Jon Marthaler joined me to help make sense of what Minnesota United did during the transfer window and what moves still could come.
