The forthcoming baseball season will see Major League Baseball assuming responsibility for the creation and distribution of local Minnesota Twins games. This approach was earlier successfully implemented in the 2024 season by teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and the San Diego Padres. The Twins managed to access a little over a million homes in 2024, but MLB predicts a significantly expanded reach under the new model, with projected access to nearly 4.4 million homes, representing a stellar 307% growth in outreach.
The freshly minted Twins.TV network will be the new platform to connect the Minnesota Twins with their fans. It will be accessible to audiences via cable as well as satellite mediums. To focus exclusively on the Twins, a designated channel on Twins.TV will air the games, alongside pre-game and post-game programs. Exclusive national broadcasts will continue to be telecast on established platforms such as ESPN and Fox, like previous years.
In the 2024 season, the airing of 159 Twin games was handled by Bally Sports North, while Apple TV and Fox aired two and one game respectively. A similar pattern is anticipated for game distribution in the 2025 season with the final TV schedule expected to be unveiled later in the year.
The new model for watching Twins games will present a significant shift for fans as, for the first time, they will not be subject to any blackout restrictions on locally broadcast games, except for those televised nationally on platforms like ESPN or Fox. This is expected to be particularly impactful for fans in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of western Wisconsin and northern Iowa.
Fans can access all locally broadcast games for the Twin with a subscription to Twins.TV — unburdened by blackout restrictions. For those fans who have cable or satellite subscriptions that encompass Twins.TV, these games will be available for full access, without any blackout limitations whatsoever.
The cost structure for Twins.TV’s 2025 season subscriptions, although not officially released yet, may draw inspiration from the model used by the San Diego Padres in the previous year, which may hint at the upcoming pricing system.
In the 2024 season, Padres games were available for local fans to stream at a cost of $19.99 per month or an all-season pass for $99.99. This service was accessible through a range of devices, from computers and mobile devices to smart TVs, giving fans broad access.
Fans outside the Padres’ home region had the option to access the games via a bundled plan — MLB.TV+Padres.TV which was priced at $39.99 per month or a season pass at $199.99. Prices for cable or satellite services offering Padres.TV varied as it was part of different sports packages or add-ons.
Going on precedent, Twins fans can look forward to similar pricing tiers for the 2025 season with Twins.TV. Official confirmation by MLB and the Twins is expected later during the offseason, which will provide fans with a detailed insight into the pricing options for the upcoming Twins’ season.
Concurrently, information about adding Twins.TV to existing cable and satellite packages is expected to be released by the respective providers. This will provide fans with an understanding of how they can incorporate the new network into their current services.
Anticipation is growing around announcements concerning the schedule for both the spring training and regular season broadcasts. These official updates are expected soon, providing fans and the baseball community at large with important information for the upcoming year.
In summary, the 2025 MLB season is looking promising for Twins fans. The MLB stepping in to handle local game production and distribution hints at a significantly enhanced viewing experience. Twins.TV, its availability via cable as well as satellite and the prospect of no blackout restrictions offer an exciting football season ahead.
While the pricing structure awaits official confirmation, the model used by the Padres last season provides a glimpse into what could potentially be on offer. Apart from offering easy streaming, Twins.TV also looks set to accommodate a variety of viewing methods. For instance, devices from computers and mobiles to smart TVs will be capable of hosting the broadcasts.
With respect to games reaching fans outside the home region of Twins, an MLB bundle similar to last year’s MLB.TV+Padres.TV could foreseeably be an option. Season passes were given last year, which could make a return this year too. Cable or satellite services that integrate Twins.TV into their sport packages are also likely to become available.
In conclusion, there seem to be exciting developments on the horizon this year for Twins fans. A dedicated channel to showcase their beloved team, no blackout restrictions, the ability to stream on a variety of hardware — these are all positive changes to look forward to.
While confirmations about the detailed pricing structure are still pending, one thing seems evident: the fans’ needs are being catered to. And with broadcast schedules for the spring training and regular season imminent, the anticipation is likely to continue building amongst the Twins fans and indeed the baseball community at large.