On Tuesday the Twins announced a new TV deal, one that would see them partner with MLB for production and distribution of games. It's an absolutely seismic move, as it ends the reign of Bally Sports North and will give the team a new way to brodcast games.
More specifically, fans will be able to access games with more ease than ever before. Nothing about the Bally Sports North era will be missed outside of whatever normal dose of nostalgia gets attached to things as time passes. Even then, things were so unbelievably bad that nobody will be looking back fondly on who impossible it was for fans to watch games.
This past season was rock bottom.
Not only did the lack of a TV deal lead to payroll getting reduced, which eventually eroded the team’s chances of making the playoffs, but fans literally couldn’t watch games. Comcast dropped Bally Sports nationwide in May, meaning fans had no way of watching games through cable.
All of that goes away now that MLB had taken over. Bally Sports North is a thing of the past, the Twins will be as accessible as ever, and there are some big changes on the horizon for how we will be able to watch games.
Everything to know about Twins new TV deal for next season
How will Twins games be available now?
There will be a few different ways to watch games now, including on cable. Bally Sports North is being cut out of the equation, but MLB still plans on making games available through cable and satalite providers.
One new wrinkle will be the direct-to-consumer option that wasn’t available before. This would give fans access to the team through the official website or app, something that wasn’t possible before. When the Twins TV deal expired last season, there was hope that the team would create its own network, along the lines of what the Cubs have with Marquee and the Yankees have with YES.
That still isn’t this, but it’s essentially the same thing except it’s owned and operated by the league and not the team. The bottom line is, Twins games will be available to stream which was not the case with Bally Sports.
Is this for out-of-market fans as well?
Unfortunately this won’t be available to fans outside of the local Minnesota market. The new TV deal is only for the viewing area that Bally Sports North covered, with the Twins revealing a coverage map indicating where this new streaming service will be available:
- All of Minnesota
- All of North Dakota
- Everywhere except western South Dakota
- Parts of northern Iowa
- Parts of western Wisconsin
Basically, if you were able to get Bally Sports North last season then you’re in the viewing area for this new TV deal with MLB. The good news for fans outside of the region is that MLB.tv will provide access to the Twins since it’s out-of-market and not considered to be in the blackout zone.
Will games still be on cable?
Yes, game will still be available on cable, but will depend on which cable packages are part of the deal. MLB is working on the distribution end to connect with providers who will carry Twins games the same way Bally Sports North did. The only difference is that Bally Sports won’t be in charge of things which means games won’t be blacked out locally and will be much easier to find than they were under the previous regime.
With MLB in charge now, the incentive for the league is to ensure that games are available to everyone regardless of how they watch. This doesn’t guarantee that the cable package you have will carry the new service the league is providing, but at the very least there’s the direct-to-consumer model that will allow fans to access games if cable is not an option.
Are the Twins going to change announcers with the new TV deal?
No.
Cory Provus and Justin Morneau are Twins employees, which means they weren’t working for Bally Sports North. This is important because it means business as usual since the duo are already working for the team, and therefore are league employees.
A league-owned network means Provus and Morneau can seamlessly transition to the new booth.
There’s a chance the Twins use the move to shake things up, but that’s unlikely given how well-liked the two are. For what it’s worth, all three teams that operated under this way of broadcasting games with the league last year kept their announcing groups together. That’s the expectionat here as well.
How much will it cost?
It’s yet to be determined if there will be a premium added to cable or satellite providers who MLB works with, but there’s already precedent for what fans can expect with the streaming service. Last year MLB charged fans in local markets $99.99 for the entire season of Diamondbacks, Rockies, or Padres games, and $9.99 per month.
Prices haven’t yet been locked in for the Twins, Guardians, and Brewers but it’s expected to be in the same range.
Full Season Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
$99.99 | $9.99 |
Keep in mind that this is separate from the MLB.tv package that gives fans access to every out-of-market game. A local package for Twins games would need to be purchased in addition to MLB.tv if fans want to get access to every team.
When does this all start?
This all goes into effect this upcoming season.
When Opening Day rolls around and you’re wondering what channel the Twins will be on, or are confused that Bally Sports North doesn’t exist anymore, check out the answers above and ditch the rock you’ve so clearly been living under.
More Minnesota Twins news and rumors