KANSAS CITY – With the Royals’ television future up in the air after terminating their contract with Main Street Sports Group, which operates FanDuel Sports Network, the club is optimistic a decision will be made before Spring Training begins on where Royals games will be broadcast in 2026.
Speaking with reporters at Royals Rally, the team’s one-day fanfest at Kauffman Stadium, president of business operations Cullen Maxey said the Royals “would like” to stick with Main Street/FanDuel Sports Network but are prepared to pivot to Major League Baseball-produced broadcasts if necessary. The Royals originally signed a one-year contract with FanDuel Sports Network back in November for the 2026 season, but that was terminated as Main Street continued to struggle with its financial solvency.
“There’s some instability of the FanDuel Sports Network, so they’re seeking out a merger partner to help them create a little bit more financial stability,” Maxey said. “Our plan with them is to stick with our partners as long as they can convince us that there will not be a risk of interruption during our season of bringing games to our fans. That’s the most important thing.
“They actually have done a great job, and I think it’s documented, of expanding our reach throughout our television territory. I think they’ve also had a successful launch of our direct-to-consumer product, and that has been very well received as things continue to go in that direction and the way people consume our games. So we would like to stick with them. But we do need to feel very stable that there will be no interruptions during the season. And that decision will come soon.”
Maxey has experience with this situation. In his role with Arizona, he led the broadcast transition from the regional sports network model to a team-managed multi-platform distribution produced by MLB. In 2023, the D-backs made that switch in one day during the middle of the season.
This time, Maxey envisions a decision happening before Spring Training begins, giving the Royals time to broadcast Cactus League games and have a plan in place well before Opening Day.
Maxey expressed confidence in MLB’s broadcast, which is able to make a direct-to-consumer streaming option available, eliminating blackouts of local games. Should MLB end up taking over Royals games, the broadcast team would likely not change, and fans likely wouldn’t notice a difference in the broadcast, whether watching on cable or streaming.
“Over the years, Major League Baseball has developed an experienced team to help teams locally launch and basically run in conjunction with them their own sports network,” Maxey said. “[In Arizona,] not only were there no disruptions to the fan viewing experience, no disruptions to anybody employed by the network – that was important to us as well – and that’s why we’re confident MLB is the answer if we need to go in another direction. Not only do they have relationships already with all the distributors, so fans wherever they watch us now can rest assured that they will be able to see us – whether they consume on satellite, cable subscription [or] direct to consumer. Major League Baseball, it’s pretty well documented, [is] the pioneer in sports streaming, so we feel confident there. That’ll be our plan from a television standpoint if and when we go in that direction.”
New stadium update
The Royals have yet to pick a location for their new ballpark and surrounding entertainment district, but CEO/chairman John Sherman said the team will be announcing a decision “sooner rather than later.” He noted that the team still has options on both sides of the state line, even after taking the Aspiria campus in Overland Park, Kan., off the table. While the deadline to put a stadium funding measure on an April ballot in Clay County has passed, negotiations in North Kansas City are still open, Sherman said.
The Royals remain engaged in discussions with Jackson County to move a ballpark to downtown Kansas City. Questions remain about whether public stadium funding would go to a public vote like it did in April 2024, when a measure to extend the 3/8-cent sales tax for a new downtown ballpark failed.
“Just like in any business, you have to be willing to adapt and be flexible to achieve that ultimate goal that we talked about,” Sherman said. “But I think if you have your druthers, I would love to see us in the heart of the city and cultural part of the city, where we can enhance some other things already going on and make it better. That’s probably a soft spot, but I also have to be open to other ideas to make sure we accomplish that goal.”
The Royals’ lease at the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County ends following the 2030 season.
Fan-friendly stadium experience
It might have been freezing at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, but Maxey noted that baseball season is around the corner – and all single-game tickets are on sale now for the 2026 season.
He also said that the value menu will continue into 2026 at eight locations in the ballpark, where fans can find ballpark favorites for $5 or less, including beer, soda, hot dogs, pretzels and popcorn. Value seating opportunities include the Fountain Pass and Pick 10 pack, as well as the Sunday Family Four pack.
The Royals are also changing the 50/50 Raffle program this year from a homestand jackpot to a jackpot given away every single home game.
“Our bigger crowds, you’ll see it grow to levels that will be pretty exciting, and when it’s a smaller jackpot on any given night, I guess that means your chances of winning just went up a little bit,” Maxey said. “To be able to hand out something every single night, it really engages the fan base. And what we want to do is hopefully grow our total giving as well, because that’s why we do it.”