Put the Royals on your eyeballs.
The Royals were an exciting, improved team led by one of the best pitching staffs and one of the most dynamic young players in the game. Fans want to watch these players, but the changing media landscape can be confusing.
How can you tune in and watch these boys in blue on your television and streaming device in 2025?
Bally Sports Kansas City is now FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City
The last few seasons you have probably watched the Royals on Bally Sports Kansas City. The network has once again re-branded to become FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. This channel is not to be confused with the FanDuel TV+, a channel dedicated to gambling that airs live horse racing.
The broadcast team will still include Rex Hudler, Ryan Lefebvre, Jake Eisenberg, and Jeremy Guthrie.
What games will air?
All non-nationally televised regular season games will air on FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City starting with the March 27 opener against Cleveland. They will also air five spring training games – February 27 and March 9 against the Brewers, March 14 against the Angels, March 15 against the Guardians, and March 19 against the Giants.
: Cactus League baseball. pic.twitter.com/eltCfEtH0e
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 11, 2025
Where can I find this channel?
FanDuel Sports Network is available on many cable and satellite providers. In Kansas City it is available on Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, U-verse TV, and Xtream powered by Mediacom. You can find if the channel is available via cable or satellite in your area at getmyhometeams.com.
For streaming options, you can access the channel on DIRECTV STREAM and FuboTV, but not YouTube TV or Sling. You can also purchase direct access to FanDuel Sports Network for $19.99 per month and watch on the FanDuel app. They also offer a season package for $122.99 to get games beginning February 21, or $105.99 to begin on March 20.
If you don’t want to download the app, you can also purchase FanDuel Sports Kansas City as an add-on option on Amazon Prime. The cost is the same, and you will already need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber.
What about over-the-air TV?
For those with TV antenna, ten games will be simulcast on both FanDuel Sports Network and over-the-air on Gray Media channels such as KCTV5 and KSMO in Kansas City. The games will be Sunday games, with specific dates yet to be announced.
What about nationally televised games on TV?
MLB has sold off its inventory of games to several national broadcast providers. ESPN has released its initial batch of Sunday Night Baseball matchups with no Royals games, but more games will be added later in the season.
Other broadcast partners at FOX, FS1, MLB Network, TBS/truTV, Apple TV+, and The Roku Channel have yet to release their schedules. Roku was a new provider last year, and will air games for free on their app. FOX is available over-the-air and through cable and satellite providers. MLB Network is available as a standalone streaming service for $6.99 per month, subject to restrictions. Apple TV+ aired Friday night games last year and is only available as a standalone streaming service at $9.99 per month.
What about MLB TV?
If you are not in the Royals television market, you can watch the Royals and all other non-blackout-restricted games at MLB TV. You can watch them and all other non-blackout-restricted games at MLB TV for $29.99 per month or $149.99 for the year. However, if you live in a Royals television market, their games will be blacked out.
Why are there blackout restrictions?
Money! When teams sign TV deals, the channels are buying exclusivity. If the games are available through other means, you may not tune into their channel, making their large investment less valuable. So the blackout restrictions are a way for you to subscribe to FanDuel Sports Network or a cable or satellite provider that carries them. If your cable or satellite provider doesn’t carry the channel, call them and demand it! At least, that’s what they want.
MLB teams aren’t super thrilled about his arrangement, especially since Diamond Sports (now re-branded as Main Street Sports Group) has been a tough negotiator demanding high carriage fees from cable and satellite providers and streaming services. That has blocked access to many fans who are subscribers to Sling and YouTubeTV. But while teams may not like that their product isn’t available to all fans, many re-upped with Diamond Sports this past year, at least on short-term deals.
At least now there is a direct-to-consumer streaming option for those in the Royals’ market, but you’ll have to pay.
How else can I follow games?
You can always listen to the Royals on radio through 96.5 The Fan, 610 Sports with select games on 1660 The Bet in Kansas City, or one of the many affiliates as part of the Royals Radio network. And of course, we will have game threads with the witty commentary and analysis of our fans.