ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays officially kick off their home schedule today against the Chicago Cubs at Tropicana Field, but the way fans watch the action is undergoing its biggest transformation in years.
Following the termination of their previous contract with Main Street Sports Group, the team has shifted production and distribution duties directly to Major League Baseball. This move effectively ends the era of local streaming blackouts for fans within the team’s home territory.
Central to this shift is the launch of Rays.TV, a direct-to-consumer streaming platform presented by Union Home Mortgage. For the first time, fans living in the Tampa Bay market can stream games through the MLB App without needing a cable login.
Subscriptions are currently live, with a seasonal package priced at $99.99 or a monthly option for $19.99. For those who want access to the rest of the league, a bundled Rays.TV and MLB.TV package is available for $199.99 annually. All streaming tiers include a seven-day free trial.
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“Since our first days of taking ownership of the club, we’ve been committed to delivering a world-class fan experience,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said regarding the transition. “With MLB’s best-in-class streaming platform, Rays fans in our home market will finally be able to stream games on the MLB App without local blackouts.”
While the technology behind the broadcast is changing, the voices remain familiar. The Rays confirmed that their entire 2025 on-air team is returning for this season. Longtime play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats will be back in the booth alongside color analyst Brian Anderson and in-game reporter Ryan Bass.
For viewers who prefer traditional television, the games haven’t moved far. The Rays will continue to be available through major cable and satellite providers across Florida. Fans can find the games on DirecTV (Channel 652), Xfinity (Channel 1262), and Spectrum (Channel 1152 in Tampa/Orlando or Channel 400 digital). Other providers including Cox and AT&T U-verse will also carry the broadcasts.
In a further effort to reach local audiences, the team has partnered with Hearst Television to broadcast 10 specific games for free over-the-air. This includes today’s home opener, as well as high-profile matchups against the Yankees and Red Sox later this summer. These games will be accessible via standard antennas in the Tampa-St. Petersburg and Orlando-Daytona markets.
Fans living outside of the Florida market will still be able to follow the team through the standard MLB.TV out-of-market package. All 162 regular-season games are guaranteed to be available through either these new local channels, the streaming platform, or MLB’s national broadcast partners. Detailed information on channel listings and subscription sign-ups is available at RaysBaseball.com/Watch.
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