The Seattle Mariners introduced Friday that they are going to shut down Root Sports activities Northwest on the finish of the 2025 season, shifting all features of broadcast manufacturing, carriage, and streaming of Mariners video games to Main League Baseball starting in 2026.
It marks the tip of a decades-long run for the regional sports activities community, courting again to 1988 when it launched as Northwest Cable Sports activities. The Mariners took full possession of ROOT Sports activities in 2023.
“We proceed to give attention to discovering new methods to deliver our video games in 2026 and past to our followers and we’ve decided becoming a member of with Main League Baseball is the perfect path,” the Mariners stated in an announcement. “Starting in 2026 and transferring ahead, Main League Baseball will present alternatives to deliver new options and advantages to viewers of Mariners baseball.”
MLB already supported manufacturing for Mariners video games. By 2026, it’ll take over all broadcast duties.
The transfer underscores the deteriorating financial mannequin for regional sports activities networks amid a shift in how reside sports activities is consumed, as extra followers “reduce the wire” and abandon conventional cable packages from suppliers reminiscent of Comcast and DirecTV.
As a part of the pattern, tech giants together with Amazon — which streams a package of New York Yankees video games and has invested closely in NFL and different rights — are spending billions to air reside sports activities on their platforms.
MLB has stepped in to imagine management of broadcasts for different groups together with the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies lately.
Mariners followers ought to count on related entry to video games subsequent season through linear TV and streaming beneath MLB’s manufacturing and streaming infrastructure. Many particulars — channel assignments, and many others. — nonetheless must be ironed out as MLB takes over absolutely.
“Mariners.TV” may grow to be the portal for reside video games on-line, just like other MLB-powered team streams that cost an annual subscription.
Earlier this yr the Mariners launched the ROOT Sports activities Stream app, providing followers reside video games for $19.99/month.
It’s unclear whether or not present Mariners announcers and analysts will stay on the air subsequent season.
Greater than 25 employees members at ROOT Sports activities will likely be laid off, in line with The Seattle Times.
The information comes with simply three days left within the 2025 common season and because the Mariners put together for a postseason run after profitable the AL West division title this week, for the primary time since 2001.
The Mariners are led by CEO and Chairman John Stanton, a wi-fi and cell pioneer within the Seattle area who took over the franchise in 2016.
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