Texas Rangers Set to Announce First Step in Game Broadcasts This Season

The Texas Rangers have partnered with another local pro team to offer its games as a streaming option starting in March.
Jul 26, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Texas Rangers fielder Leody Taveras (3) during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Jul 26, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Texas Rangers fielder Leody Taveras (3) during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers are the last team in Major League Baseball without a local television contract for 2025. But at least one piece has fallen into place.

According to The Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have secured a direct-to-consumer option for their games through the Dallas Stars’ Victory app.

An announcement is expected as soon as Wednesday.

The DTC option won’t be free, per the report. It will be a subscription service for an annual fee. Stars games on the Victory app are free.

The next step would likely be a local television deal that might include linear, cable and over-the-air options.

The Rangers got their broadcast rights back last year after Diamond Sports Group, which owned Bally Sports Southwest (now FanDuel), went through the bankruptcy process and agreed to return the Rangers’ rights as part of the overall settlement.

One of the significant issues in the Rangers’ market area was access to games. DSG failed to secure deals with major carries that locked out many Rangers fans from watching games. Now that the Rangers have their rights back, they can do what they want in terms of how they’re broadcast.

Before DSG went into bankruptcy in 2023, the Rangers had signed a deal with Fox Sports Southwest, which bought the rights during Tom Hicks’ ownership and re-upped the contract, one that paid the Rangers reportedly more than $100 million per year in rights fees.

Those rights fees went to help pay player salaries. For instance, in the 2022 offseason the Rangers signed shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien to long-term contracts that were worth a combined $500 million.

The following offseason the Rangers signed pitcher Jacob deGrom to a five-year deal worth $185 million.

Since then, Texas has not handed out a big-money contract, which coincides with the time frame of DSG’s bankruptcy. At one time, DSG withheld rights fees from the Rangers until they were compelled to pay.

With the rights now returned to the Rangers, they on their own to figure out how to make money off their games.

One way to increase access would be to partner with Major League Baseball, which now partners with several teams to ensure their games are broadcast locally.

That may be out of the question, as MLB wants the digital rights to a team’s games in those deals.


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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers for On SI and also writes about the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com.