Detroit Tigers’ Scott Harris, A.J. Hinch explain Kevin McGonigle move
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch talk March 25, 2026, about the Kevin McGonigle roster decision.
The Great Tigers TV Channel Search of 2026 is over, and the Detroit Tigers will have their games on the newly formed Detroit SportsNet shown on the major cable carriers in Michigan.
The announcement comes a little less than 24 hours before the Tigers are set to open their new season, with 2026 Tigers Opening Day set for 4:10 p.m. Thursday, March 26, against the San Diego Padres on the road.
The news came from Tigers and Detroit Red Wings reporter Daniella Bruce on Wednesday:
Later on Tuesday, DirecTV announced a deal to carry Detroit SportsNet as well.
The channels:
- Comcast/Xfinity: 1253.
- DirecTV: 663.
- Spectrum/Charter (Alpena, Detroit, Duluth-Superior, Flint-Saginaw, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Traverse City): 213.
- Spectrum/Charter (Livonia): 291
- Spectrum/Charter (Fort Wayne, Green Bay-Appleton, Toledo): 307/1307.
- Spectrum/Charter (on Spectrum app): 436.
The Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, both owned by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, ended their contract with Main Street Sports Group, the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network Detroit earlier this year over concerns over the broadcasting company’s bankruptcy, and announced the formation of “Detroit Sportsnet” to carry broadcasts of the teams.
Detroit SportNet has already streamed several Tigers games onling during spring training, but the move still isn’t fully complete. The Red Wings will remain on FanDuel until the end of the 2025-26 season in mid-April, then move to Detroit SportsNet for 2026-27 and beyond.
The Detroit Pistons will also be on FanDuel through the end of the regular season, with playoff games set to be shown on national networks. No plans for next seasons Pistons broadcasts have been announced.
Tigers games were available in a streaming package (at $19.99 per month, or $189.99 for an entire year) carried on MLB.TV and viewable through MLB’s app and website.
But it appeared the work to get games on cable carriers, where many Michiganders still watch sports, was going to go right up to Opening Day, with a warning coming from Ben Fidelman, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment vice president of communications and broadcasting, in a post Sunday, March 22, on social media.
“There’s nothing to worry about here – though it’s not ideal, we’ve been told since the beginning that it would play out this way,” Fidelman wrote. “All the other MLB teams transitioning away from FanDuel are in the same boat on this timeline.”
The Seattle Mariners similarly announced cable carriers and channels earlier Wednesday.
Here’s what we know about Detroit SportsNet and the changeover for the Tigers and Wings:
How much will Detroit SportsNet cost?
Fans can pay $19.99 per month or $189.99 for a full year – approximately $50 cheaper over a 12-month span. Fans can learn more about streaming subscriptions for the Tigers and Red Wings at Tigers.com/detroitsportsnet and DetroitRedWings.com/detroitsportsnet.
Will I be able to watch all 162 Tigers games on Detroit SportsNet?
No. Detroit SportsNet will carry approximately 140 broadcasts this season. The Tigers are slated to have at least 16 games broadcast nationally with MLB’s other partners, including Fox, NBC (and its streaming service, Peacock) and TBS. (Netflix also signed up with MLB this season, but its three-year deal only covers “special event games”; this season, that’s the Opening Day matchup between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, March 25, the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia on July 13 and the “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa, between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins on Aug. 13.)
I’m signed up for FanDuel. Do I have to subscribe all over again to Detroit SportsNet?
Yes. You will not find Tigers games on FanDuel Sports Network anymore, and once the Red Wings’ regular season concludes, on April 15, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment will no longer have any association with FanDuel. Fans will need to subscribe separately to Detroit SportsNet, as it’s completely different from what they currently have. FanDuel Sports Network subscribers should contact FanDuel directly to cancel their subscriptions.
Do I have to pay for Wings and Tigers separately this spring?
Yes, for about two weeks. That’s the overlap between when the Red Wings finish their 2025-26 season and when the Tigers begin their 2026 season.
What about the Detroit Pistons?
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment is not associated with the Pistons. As of now, Pistons games will not be available on Detroit SportsNet.
How to stream Tigers and Red Wings games?
The new streaming home for the Tigers is the MLB app, available on web, mobile and TV platforms – with access to highlights, stats and news. As for the Red Wings, a system to stream games for the 2026-27 season is yet to be announced.
Will there be one app for both teams?
No. There won’t be a singular app on which both teams are available in one place. Fans will need to download the MLB app to stream Tigers games and a to-be-determined app to stream Red Wings games.
Where to watch on TV for Tigers and Red Wings games?
Discussions with cable and satellite distributors are ongoing. Once agreements are finalized, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment will share a list of providers carrying Detroit SportsNet, along with specific channel assignments.
What happens to the broadcasters?
Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond are expected to continue leading Red Wings broadcasts for years to come. The same is true for Jason Benetti (and Dan Dickerson) with analysts Andy Dirks and Dan Petry on Tigers broadcasts. They all are employees of the Tigers and Red Wings and will remain in their current roles, along with reporters Daniella Bruce and Logan Reever, who cover both teams.
This is a developing story.
