Of the four major U.S. team sports, baseball got hit hardest by the regional sports network collapse this season. Nine MLB teams — and that's after a few more had already pulled out in 2024 and 2025 — ended up with no regional channel for 2026 when FanDuel Sports Network ran its last broadcast at the end of April.

If you root for one of these teams and your games just disappeared, here is the plain-English version of what your options actually are.

The nine teams that lost their RSN this year

These teams had FanDuel Sports Network as their regional home for 2025 and lost it for 2026:

Add the teams that already left the FanDuel ecosystem before the wind-down — the Padres, Diamondbacks, Guardians, and Rockies all jumped earlier — and the Washington Nationals, who walked away from MASN at the end of the 2025 season, and you have roughly half of MLB without a traditional regional carrier in 2026.

The over-the-air solution

Several MLB teams now broadcast a chunk of their games on free over-the-air TV in their home market. This is the cleanest answer if you live in the team's footprint.

The Suns/Jazz model that's spreading. The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz pioneered this in 2023, going free over-the-air after their RSN deals collapsed. Several MLB teams followed: the Padres on a local San Diego signal, the Diamondbacks on KFAA, the Brewers on Milwaukee FOX6, the Twins on a Minnesota broadcast partner. Expect more of the same in 2026 as the affected teams sort out distribution.

What you need. A $30 antenna, mounted high enough to clear roofline obstructions. The Mohu Leaf, Antop AT-800SBS, and 1byone series all work fine for most homes within 30 miles of the broadcast towers. If you cannot get a clear signal indoors, an attic-mounted directional antenna runs you $80 to $150 installed.

What it costs. Once. The antenna is the only purchase. Free OTA games stay free forever.

The Nationals.tv example

The Washington Nationals are the cleanest 2026 success story for cord-cutters. The team left MASN at the end of the 2025 season and partnered with MLB to launch Nationals.tv, an MLB-produced direct-to-consumer streaming service that runs about $20 a month. Select Nationals games also air on free over-the-air TV in the DMV.

If you are a Nats fan in the DC area, your 2026 stack is now: $30 antenna (one-time) plus $20 a month Nationals.tv. No live TV service needed for baseball.

If you are a Nats fan outside the DMV, MLB.tv ($149 a year) covers you for every out-of-market game because the local blackout rule does not apply outside the home market.

MLB.tv is the out-of-market answer

If you live outside your favorite team's home market, MLB.tv is the simplest answer. $149 a year for every out-of-market game in HD, with no blackouts for games outside your home zip code. That works out to about $25 a month over the 6-month season — less than a single live TV subscription.

The catch: in-market games are blacked out on MLB.tv. So if you live in Detroit and root for the Tigers, MLB.tv does not work for Tigers games. You need either OTA or whatever the team sets up for local distribution.

The 2026 national TV picture

If you want all teams in one place rather than just your local team, here is the national rights map:

YouTube TV, Hulu+Live, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and Sling all carry the cable national networks. Apple TV Friday Night Baseball is included in the standard $12.99 a month Apple TV subscription. Netflix Opening Night is included in any Netflix tier.

What about MASN and the Orioles

MASN is now Orioles-only. The Nationals are gone, MASN2 shut down on March 3, 2026, and the surviving channel carries Orioles games and not much else. YouTube TV still does not carry MASN. If you are an Orioles fan in the DMV, your live TV options are Fubo, DirecTV Stream, the MASN+ direct app, or cable (Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum).

Bottom-line picks

Cheapest stack if your team has gone over-the-air: $30 antenna once, plus optional $149 a year MLB.tv if you want everyone else's games. Effective cost: under $15 a month.

If your team has a direct-to-consumer app (like Nationals.tv): $30 antenna once, plus the team app at $15 to $25 a month. No live TV subscription needed.

If you want a complete cable-replacement experience: Fubo Pro at $84.99 a month gives you the deepest RSN coverage that still exists, plus the cable national networks. DirecTV Stream CHOICE is the only option that carries SportsNet LA for Dodgers fans.

If you are not sure which option fits your zip code and your team, run our Tailor Fit quiz. It pulls in your local broadcast coverage, your team's 2026 carriage situation, and your budget.

Run Tailor Fit — Get a Personalized Recommendation

Last verified: 2026-06-04 against live carrier and rights data. Streaming rights shift quarterly — we re-check every season.

Sources: ESPN reporting on Main Street Sports Group wind-down (April 2026); MLB.com Nationals.tv launch (Jan 2026); MASN public filings on MASN2 shutdown (March 2026); SPORTS-RIGHTS-MASTER.md (internal reference doc, verified 2026-06-04); RSN-BLACKOUTS-REFERENCE.md.