SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Major League Baseball is taking over the production and distribution of San Diego Padres locally-distributed games starting Wednesday, starting with Padres' game against the Miami Marlins.
"Well, since I upgraded my Cox cable so I can watch Bally [Sports], I think I'll downgrade my Cox cable. No, that's really a bummer because it's nice to be able to watch at home or at a bar somewhere, you know, socializing,” said Padres fan Sabrina Engler.
"For the locals, the people that follow the Padres day in and day out, you know, there's some confusion — where are we going to watch the games?" fan Matthew Benac added.
The new arrangement expands the reach of the games from 1.1 million homes to roughly 3.2 million homes, MLB officials said in a news release.
“Through the power of Major League Baseball and the Padres, we are working to elevate the game broadcast experience for all Padres fans,” said Billy Chambers, MLB Executive Vice President, Local Media. “New technology, better picture quality and increased access are just a few of the items we are working on to better tell the story each and every night.”
At 6:59 p.m. Tuesday, Bally Sports' parent company — Diamond Sports Group — missed their rights fee payment, triggering the change, according to ESPN.
With MLB's takeover, Padres games will be streamed for free on the MLB app, MLB.com and Padres.com through Sunday, June 4.
"Well, are we going to have to subscribe to MLB.TV, which I want to say is somewhere in the ballpark of $100 to $150 a year that, you know, most people weren't planning on spending,” Benac said.
After June 4, fans can pay $19.99 per month or $74.99 for the rest of the season to continue the MLB streaming service.
"I've got TVs that can't handle the streaming and some that can. So, yeah, it's chaos when I have to depend on the streaming. Until we get that system all up and running, it's going to be a challenge,” said Erik Tesmer, co-owner of Basic Bar & Pizza.
For subscribers to local cable TV and satellite providers, Padres games will available but likely on different channels fans are used to.
According to the Padres, here's where TV viewers can catch games:
- DirecTV/DirecTV Stream: 694-3
- AT&T U-Verse: 781
- Spectrum San Diego/Palm Springs/Yuma-El Centro: 305
- Spectrum Hawaii: 230
- Cox (California Yurview): 4
- Fubo: Subscribers will be notified
At this time, YouTube TV and Sling do not offer Padres games, the team stated.
Tesmer thinks the Bally Sports-to-MLB change will impact business the most is during home games where Padres fans who can't make a sellout game and pop into his place to watch the game.
"People will be confused, not knowing where to go and/or even they may just say I'm not going to go out today because I can't watch the game on TV. It's definitely going to affect us,” Tesmer said.
Padres on-air broadcasters Don Orsillo and Mark Grant will remain in their current roles as the team employs them.
Fans already getting the games via cable or satellite are expected to continue to get the game on Wednesday without paying extra for now.
"I still have faith. I'm not going to give up,” Engler said. "And it's not the Padres' fault. It's probably just politics and money."
The change could actually save money for fans who were looking to cut the cord but didn't want to lose access to Padres games on television. With local streaming blackouts lifted, games will be available to customers in San Diego County without a cable or satellite provider for the first time.
