The Minnesota Twins are back on television.
A contract dispute over pricing tiers between Comcast and Diamond Sports Group, which owns Bally Sports North, put the Twins, along with the Minnesota Lynx, off the air for three months, starting on May 1. The two sides finally reached an agreement, and the Twins returned to the television airways on July 30.
But Twins President Dave St. Peter told the audience on August 10 during a panel discussion at the 2024 Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) annual convention in downtown Minneapolis that things could change.
“Anybody that thinks they know where this is going to play out over the next six weeks, six months, six years, six days, they are B.S.-ing you because we don’t know,” admitted the longtime Twins executive.
The future of baseball broadcasting on all media platforms is evolving.
Once upon a time, baseball fans could watch their favorite team on over-the-air television. Then came the advent of regional sports networks (RSNs), and slowly but surely, teams such as the Twins moved their game broadcasts from regular TV to cable and satellite TV.
Now, cable “cord-cutting” by subscribers has reduced the revenue that RSNs receive from television provider subscriber fees and advertising. In recent years, streaming has become vogue for many sports fans, though not this year for Twins fans. St. Peter noted that the Twins didn’t receive Major League Baseball approval to sell their streaming rights this year.
“We have been unable to screen Twins baseball in this market,” reiterated St. Peter. “I can assure you that as we look to 2025, we will be looking to do that with partners that can help [us]. The good news is we have options.”
But do baseball fans have the same options?
Cable and streaming can be costly. The RSN situation is in flux—the Twins’ contract with Diamond Sports expires at season’s end.
Radio remains a viable option for baseball fans, even if it’s only in their cars. WCCO Radio has been the Twins broadcast home since 2018, but the contract ends at the end of this season.
“Radio is still an important part of our business,” said St. Peter. “It’s an important part of the way we showcase our brand. It’s still destination programming for a lot of fans throughout the Upper Midwest.
“I can tell you that we will not proceed with a radio partnership that doesn’t have some level of destination as to where you can find the game,” pledged St. Peter.
The MSR afterward asked St. Peter about the future of baseball broadcast locally and nationwide. What about those fans without cable, satellite, or computer access, including affordability? Would they be left out in the cold?
“The media landscape is evolving,” he responded. “I suspect that over time, it’s going to continue to change. We recognize the importance of the reach of our broadcast.
“We know cable and satellite will still be here for some. We believe streaming [is] critical for others,” said St. Peter. “But I also believe that there is a place for over-the-air traditional broadcast. So it’s probably a combination of all of the above.”