With Opening Day here, Royals fans are wondering something they haven’t thought about for months: how do I watch the Royals game? In years past, this was not a big question with a complicated answer. But thanks to cord-cutting, streaming options, blackout restrictions, and more, it is frustratingly more difficult than it has ever been. Here’s our guide.
Who is carrying Royals baseball on TV?
All 162 Royals games in 2022 will be televised either locally or nationally, with Bally Sports Kansas City carrying all non-national games. Bally Sports Kansas City, formerly known as Fox Sports Kansas City, will air Royals games for the 15th consecutive season with Rex Hudler, Ryan Lefebvre, and Steve Physioc on the call, with Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery providing pre-game and post-game analysis.
Where can I watch Bally Sports KC?
Bally Sports Kansas City is available on many cable and satellite providers including Spectrum, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Consolidated, MidCo, and Google Fiber. If you’re unsure if it’s on your service, you can look up your zip code on Bally Sports’ regional sports network lookup site.
Where can I stream Bally Sports KC?
Sinclair Broadcasting, who owns Bally Sports Kansas City, has played hardball with several streaming options and its regional sports networks are not carried on YouTubeTV, Sling, Hulu, or fubo. However, there is still one streaming option for cord-cutters: DirecTV Stream. As of this article’s publishing, the Choice Tier—the tier that contains Bally Sports KC and other RSNs—is available at a three-month introductory price of $79.99 per month, after which it bumps to $89.99 per month.
Additionally, Sinclair is reportedly developing their own direct-to-consumer streaming channel, but it won’t be available until later this summer. No other details, such as pricing, are currently available.
Can I watch the Royals on MLB.TV?
Yes, depending on where you are, but Kansas City residents won’t be able to do so. Games are subject to blackout restrictions, meaning that you will only be able to view out-of-market games on MLB.TV. Royals games will be blacked out for residents of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
However, MLB.TV is a great option if you live elsewhere in the United States (or abroad). Just be aware that you will be unable to watch Royals games when they are playing your local team, as that team will be blacked out for you just as Royals games are blacked out for many Midwesterners.
The MLB blackout map that the league follows to the letter of the law. Iowa residents are blacked out of six teams, including the White Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Brewers and Twins. pic.twitter.com/YTgt0VKds4
— Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) July 10, 2020
Will there be any nationally televised Royals games?
A few Royals games will air nationally, as MLB has teamed up with television partners at FOX, TBS, as well as new deals with Peaco*ck and Apple TV+. The Royals only have one game on the FOX lineup right now, with the Wednesday, August 10 game at home against the White Sox scheduled to air on FS1, although more games could be added to the schedule. The Royals are not included in the first two months of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball which will feature Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, and David Cone on the call. The Royals are also not listed in the first month of MLB on TBS Tuesday Night which will feature Brian Anderson, Bob Costas, Ron Darling, and Jeff Francoeur on the call.
Apple TV+ is getting into the baseball television business by airing Friday Night Baseball. These games will be free, although you will need to download the Apple TV+ channel to stream the game. The Royals game against the New York Yankees from Kauffman Stadium on April 29 will air on Apple TV+.
The Royals will have two games air on Peaco*ck, the streaming channel owned by NBC. The July 3 game against the Tigers in Detroit and the July 17 game against the Blue Jays in Toronto will air exclusively on Peaco*ck at 11 a.m. CT.
Here is the MLB on Peaco*ck schedule for 2022 pic.twitter.com/FBr2YbP1ik
— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 6, 2022
The Royals will also have one game air on YouTube, their June 1 game against Cleveland.
MLB and YouTube announce an extension of their agreement to have a game a week on the platform. Here’s the early part of the schedule. pic.twitter.com/drbqvogpYq
— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 14, 2022
Are there any other ways to experience Royals baseball?
Yes, of course. You can watch in person—which sounds silly and obvious, but considering what’s happened in the world since 2020, you can’t take anything for granted. You can still listen to the Royals on 610 Sports Kansas City and other radio stations throughout the Midwest via their Royals Radio Network affiliates.
And of course, you can always follow games through Royals Review game threads!
