How to watch Tigers Opening Day (good luck)
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Tarik Skubal fires a pitch in spring training this month against the Blue Jays. Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Tigers' Opening Day is Thursday in San Diego — and the team's TV broadcast situation is still in flux.
Why it matters: Fans may not know exactly how to find the game until hours before first pitch at 4:10pm.
The latest: As of Wednesday morning, the team was still scrambling to complete TV deals for its new Detroit SportsNet (DSN).
What they're saying: "We'll share a full list of cable/satellite providers carrying DSN, along with channel assignments, soon after the agreements are finalized. Full disclosure: this could come as late as the morning of Opening Day," Ben Fidelman, vice president of communications and broadcasting at Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, wrote on X this week.
Catch up quick: The Tigers cut ties with FanDuel Sports Network and launched DSN this month under MLB's media arm.
Between the lines: The move reflects the broader collapse of the regional sports network model, which includes stations such as FanDuel Sports Detroit, as teams shift toward streaming.
- This week's rocky rollout shows how messy that transition can be.
The big picture: Detroit is the betting favorite to win the AL Central and make the playoffs for the third straight year.
- Ace Tarik Skubal, possibly pitching his last season for the Tigers, leads a pitching staff that brought back fan favorite Justin Verlander.
State of play: Tigers games will stream through the MLB app on web, mobile and connected TV platforms. DSN will also be available through cable, satellite and streaming providers once agreements are nailed down.
- Team officials say DSN is expected to land on most major providers that carry FanDuel Sports Detroit like Xfinity and DirecTV.
"If you watched Tigers or Red Wings games through your cable package last year, there's a good chance no action will be needed to watch moving forward," Fidelman wrote.
Zoom in: DSN subscriptions are available now for $19.99 a month or $189.99 a year.
- DSN will carry about 140 games, excluding those picked for national broadcasts on NBC, ESPN and other partners.
What's next: Subscriptions are expected to eventually include both Tigers and Red Wings games, the Detroit News reports.
- FanDuel will carry Wings games through the end of this season before the team moves under the MLB Media umbrella next season.