Texas Rangers Ink Streaming Deal as Hunt for TV Partner Goes On

In the wake of its previously announced split from its legacy RSN, the Texas Rangers have a deal in place that will allow fans in the local market to stream the club’s games throughout the 2025 MLB season and beyond.

The AL West franchise has inked a multiyear deal with the Canadian streaming outlet A Parent Media Co. (APMC) and its Victory+ service, ensuring that fans in North Texas will be able to take in Rangers games via the direct-to-consumer route. The Rangers organization is also working toward finalizing its TV distribution ahead of this year’s MLB campaign.

APMC landed its first major sports partner in the metroplex at around the same time the Rangers took leave of the RSN formerly known as Bally Sports Southwest. In October 2024, the Dallas Stars inked a deal with Victory+, allowing fans to stream their games at no charge.

The Rangers, however, aren’t giving away the store. Under the terms of the new streaming deal, fans starting next month may purchase a full-season pass to watch Texas’ live games for $100.

The Victory+ deal marks the first step in the Rangers’ push to finalize their local distribution scheme, and a linear-TV package is expected to be unveiled within the next few weeks. The club is said to be shopping a package of games with Charter and DirecTV, while evaluating the over-the-air options with local broadcast affiliates.

While uncoupling from the RSN gave the Rangers control of their media destiny, the split from the parent company formerly known as Diamond Sports Group does not come without a cost. Texas’ legacy deal with its former distributor was worth around $110 million per year, and even with a bit of a haircut, the final season under the entity now known as Main Street Sports Group brought in some $90 million.

That generous revenue stream, a remnant of the days when RSNs threw off cash like so many malfunctioning ATMs, will be tough to replicate under the new patchwork structure.

In a statement provided to Sportico, Neil Leibman, chairman of Rangers Sports Media & Entertainment Co., characterized the Victory+ deal as a “tremendous first step” for the club as it works to finalize its local TV plans for 2025.

The Rangers’ hunt for a new in-market TV partnership comes as other would-be defectors have returned to the RSN fold. This week the Cincinnati Reds reversed course on their earlier decision to split from Diamond, which rebranded as Main Street Sports upon its formal emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Reds’ decision to move back in with the RSN was made shortly after the Milwaukee Brewers announced a similar change of heart. Main Street Sports has the rights to televise games for nine MLB teams in 2025. Of the clubs that have parted ways with their longstanding local TV outlets, five will have their games produced and distributed by the league.

The Anaheim Ducks were the first U.S. professional sports team to sign on with Victory+, preceding the Stars by a matter of weeks.

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Tags: MLB