PHOENIX – ESPN’s new agreement, which secures both in-market and out-of-market rights for five Major League Baseball teams, including the D-Backs, marks a dramatic shift in how fans access games.
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Fans gather outside Chase Field for the Arizona D-Backs Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs in Phoenix on March 27, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
ESPN is essentially redefining the boundaries between regional and national coverage. On the surface, that could mean broader visibility for the Diamondbacks. Though for fans, the question is cost. If ESPN rolls these rights into its streaming service, or ties them to premium bundles, Arizona viewers may soon pay extra just to follow their hometown team, including anybody who pays for the D-backs.TV subscription. Subscribing to ESPN for an added price might be the only way some fans would be able to watch the D-Backs.
Fans gather outside Chase Field for the Arizona D-Backs Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs in Phoenix on March 27, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
ESPN’s move could be the template for how all MLB teams are broadcast in the future. If the model proves profitable, other networks may follow suit, collapsing the traditional regional sports network structure altogether.
A ray of light hits fans in the stands as they watch the Arizona D-Backs play against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on June 30, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
🚨NEWS: MLB & ESPN have an agreement to make the network the exclusive home of out-of-market games for all teams and in-market for five clubs, The Athletic has learned.
Full details on MLB negotiations https://t.co/BtSGL0BujF
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 21, 2025
For the Diamondbacks, that means more national exposure but also the risk of alienating fans priced out of the system. Watching the D-Backs might have become more complicated, and the cost of staying connected is rising.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
