DIRECTV: Reds, Marlins, Brewers, Tigers, Royals (More) Coming Soon!

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Buy Me a Coffee!

TV Answer Man, Opening Day is this week!! When will DIRECTV add the Reds channel? This is insane! Are they going to make us pay the streaming money?!!!! – Robert, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Robert, Opening Day is four days away and DIRECTV (nor almost every other TV provider) has not officially announced it will carry the teams that were once part of FanDuel Sports Network. (One exception: Altafiber in Cincinnati has announced it will carry the Reds.)

Nine MLB teams (Braves, Reds, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Angels, Brewers, Rays and Cardinals) this year have exited their agreements with the financial crippled RSN (regional sports network) and instead will be streamed on team.tv channels. (The Washington Nationals will also be on Nationals.TV after ending its two-decade long partnership with MASN.)

I have urged readers to be patient and not pay the $99 (or more) the teams are charging for their streaming plans. The odds are highly likely that any TV provider that carried those teams last year will do so again this year. If they are added to your existing plan, you wouldn’t have to pay an extra dime to watch your team.

And now we have even more evidence from DIRECTV’s web site that that is the case.

On this page, DIRECTV has a ‘Coming Soon’ designation for new channels for the Reds, Marlins, Mariners, Brewers, Cardinals, Tigers, Royals and Rays. For other teams which have yet to be officially added to the DIRECTV lineup, such as the Nationals and Angels, the TV provider already lists a channel number.

The providers and teams have waited until now to make this official for a variety of reasons but largely financial ones. You can see our article here if you want to learn more about that.

So, Robert, I understand your frustration, but I think you will see the announcements begin this week, possibly tomorrow.

I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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