Brewers Fans to Maintain Access to Games Despite Broadcast Shift

Milwaukee Brewers fans will continue to have access to watch their favorite team play, despite a change in broadcast rights and the dissolution of the former regional sports network. Details regarding specific channel availability are expected to be finalized shortly before Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, when the Brewers host the Chicago White Sox.

Broadcast Rights Transition

The Brewers’ games this season will be produced and distributed by Major League Baseball (MLB) after broadcast rights were transferred from Main Street Sports, formerly known as Diamond Sports Group, which previously oversaw FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. MLB currently controls local TV rights for 15 clubs and is finalizing distribution and production deals for the Brewers’ games with the season rapidly approaching.

“I suspect they’ll receive it done maybe a couple days before Opening Day, but fans will find us,” said Rick Schlesinger, President of Business Operations for the Milwaukee Brewers, speaking to reporters at American Family Field. “Priority one for us is getting the mass distribution of our games to as many fans in the Wisconsin market as we can.”

What to Expect for Viewers

Schlesinger assured fans that viewing options will remain consistent with previous years. “I can assure fans that, if they’re used to watching games on cable, satellite and streaming, they’re invariably going to have very similar options for 2026,” he stated.

Viewers can expect a familiar broadcast experience, as all on-air talent from last season will return. MLB plans to enhance broadcasts with “a couple of new cool camera angles and just a little bit higher production quality.”

New Streaming Options

The Brewers have launched a new streaming platform, Brewers.TV, offering paid subscribers live and on-demand access to all locally distributed regular-season games. However, select regular-season and postseason games exclusive to national MLB media partners will not be available on this platform.

Brewers.TV subscriptions are available for $99.99 per season. Monthly subscriptions will also be offered starting March 23 for $19.99 per month. Games will also be accessible via streaming on MLB.TV and MLB Extra Innings.

Free Over-the-Air Broadcasts

Ten Brewers broadcasts this season, including Opening Day, will be available for free on over-the-air channels in most Wisconsin markets through a partnership with Decent Karma Brands and WITI-TV (Channel 6) in Milwaukee. The schedule is as follows:

• March 26: vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.
• March 31: vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m.
• April 28: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
• May 12: vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m.
• May 19: at Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m.
• June 2: vs. San Francisco Giants, 6:40 p.m.
• Aug. 4: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:40 p.m.
• Aug. 18: vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:40 p.m.
• Aug. 25: at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.
• Sept. 8: vs. Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m.

Financial Implications

The change in broadcast arrangements will impact revenue, according to Schlesinger. “Our payroll is up this year. We’re spending money. We’re investing in the product but there’s now less money coming in than there would have been with FanDuel,” he explained. “But this was a contingency, frankly, that we projected and we budgeted for.”

Schlesinger expressed confidence that other revenue streams will offset the reduced income. “I’m not really worried about it, due to the fact that we have other sources of revenue and we’re expecting great attendance and fantastic sponsorship support. So, whether it’s the draft picks, payroll, front office staff or projects we’re investing in, the television shortfall is not impacting us on those fronts at all,” he said.