It’s official – Texas Rangers games will not be broadcast on Barry Sports Southwest in 2025.
But the Rangers didn’t announce it, Major League Baseball did.
MLB announced in a media release Tuesday that the Rangers will leave the regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group and seek a new way to broadcast games in 2025.
It brings to an end a nearly two-year saga in which DSG went bankrupt and came close to giving up Rangers’ broadcast rights completely last year, only to have to repay the money owed to Rangers for those rights.
It’s unclear what the Rangers will do next, but the release notes the team is exploring “local media options.” The Dallas Morning News reported two weeks ago that the Rangers are considering creating their own regional sports network (RSN).
MLB announced that the three teams that have contracts with DSG, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Milwaukee, will have their games produced and distributed by the league next season. Former DSG customers San Diego, Arizona and Colorado also have similar agreements.
The league has been discussing the possibility of bringing as many teams under its umbrella to create its own network or its own direct-to-consumer (DTC) options.
Tuesday’s announcement brought some clarity to teams like the Twins. According to The Athletic, 150 games will be broadcast locally without restrictions on dedicated local TV stations and direct to consumer digital streaming.
The Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rockies offer DTC packages through MLB for $19.99 per month or $99.00 per season.
The Rangers will have to make up as much revenue as possible from their TV contract. They signed a deal with DSG, which was signed when the rights moved to Fox Sports Southwest, bringing in more than $100 million annually to the franchise. Rangers received a reduced 2024 payment from DSG.
Texas President of Baseball Operations Chris Young acknowledged last month that the TV situation could once again be a “factor” in what the Rangers can do in free agency.