The Tampa Bay Rays started the decade off with a trip to the World Series, but they finished 2025 at just 77-85. For the Rays, that’s a particular kind of failure. Not dramatic enough to cleanse the palate, not good enough to matter. The broader backdrop has been just as loud, with ongoing stadium and market turbulence that never fully lets baseball breathe.

The roster story for 2026 is classic Rays problem-solving with a few bigger swings: Steven Matz and Nick Martinez for pitching flexibility, plus position-player reshaping that includes Gavin Lux, Ben Williamson and Cedric Mullins. They also moved out pieces like Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz for a haul of prospects.

Expectations are familiar. Tampa Bay is trying to climb back into the wild-card mix after a second straight losing year. The Rays don’t need to be perfect to be dangerous, but they do need health and depth to survive the AL East. If Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero keep delivering at the start of the lineup, and if the team hits on a couple of its “this guy is better than you think” bets, the Rays can jump back into the playoff picture fast. If not, they’ll still be irritating, just not relevant.

Also irritating: trying to watch the Rays. New broadcasters have been added to the national mix, and regional Tampa Bay games have a new home as the team returns to Tropicana Field.

We’re here to make everything easier to understand. Be sure to follow the Rays on The Athletic, too.

You can watch MLB games live on Fubo (Stream Free Now!) all season.

Rays games on Rays.TVIn-market fans

Though Tampa Bay will still pop up on MLB’s national partners, most Rays regular-season games in 2026 will live under MLB’s local broadcast umbrella, called Rays.TV. The Rays are joining the growing list of clubs letting MLB handle local distribution after leaving FanDuel Sports Network.

If you’re a cable or satellite loyalist, you’re not getting left behind. Rays.TV will be available through participating providers. For the cord-cutters out there, they can subscribe directly to the service and stream games in the MLB.TV app.

What you need to watch: A provider with Rays.TV, or a direct-to-consumer subscription through MLB.TV (starting at $19.99/month). Fans looking for both the in-market Rays.TV pass and the rest of the league’s out-of-market games can bundle on MLB.TV for $199.99.

Out-of-market fans

Whether you’re a Florida snowbird who never stopped checking the box score, or just someone who thinks a baseball team named after a sea creature deserves your loyalty on principle, out-of-market Rays fans will need MLB.TV for the regional broadcasts.

MLB season ticket holders get an automatic MLB.TV login code, and T-Mobile customers get it for free through their cell service. Returning MLB.TV subscribers keep their plans through the league.

But because ESPN is selling and running the package, all new sign-ups must come through ESPN Unlimited, with a one-month trial included for the newcomers. According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, fans don’t need to keep the ESPN Unlimited plan to access the MLB.TV one, at least not for 2026.

What you need to watch: MLB.TV. It’s $134.99 annually for ESPN Unlimited subscribers and $149.99 for others.

Rays games on national TV

The national TV partners are sorted alphabetically below, with the main days for MLB action listed.

ABC/ESPN

Main days: Sunday for ABC, midweek for ESPN

ESPN and MLB have been tied together since the 1990 season. The stalwart is no longer home to “Sunday Night Baseball,” but its reworked agreement gives it 30 regular-season exclusives across the 2026 schedule.

Over-the-air parent network ABC also has a trio of telecasts this year as part of the 30-game purchase.

What you need to watch: ABC is free with an antenna. ABC and ESPN are included with most pay TV providers, and they’re also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription (starting at $29.99/month). Some pay TV providers, like Fubo and a few others, include ESPN Unlimited with their subscription.

Apple TV

Main day: Friday

This is home to “Friday Night Baseball,” which started in 2022. That weekly window is usually a doubleheader, free from local blackouts but exclusive to Apple TV.

The Rays will make their season debut on the streaming service on April 17 for an interleague clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

What you need to watch: An Apple TV subscription (starting at $12.99/month).

Fox/FS1

Main days: Saturday for Fox, midweek or Saturday for FS1, All-Star Game

There are 23 “Baseball Night in America” Saturday centerpieces lined up on Fox. The network airs two games at 7 p.m. ET and assigns markets by matchup relevance.

Some Saturdays are doubleheaders with an FS1 game in the early afternoon. FS1 has an additional weekly spot falling on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. Fox and FS1 total more than 85 regular-season games this year.

The Rays will appear on FS1 for the first time this season when they take on the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, May 27.

Come October, Fox has the NLDS and NLCS playoff series, plus the Fall Classic itself. Joe Davis has been on the World Series call since 2022, when he took over for longtime play-by-play voice Joe Buck. John Smoltz has been the color commentator since 2016. Fox’s World Series hold dates back to 2000 and runs through at least 2028.

What you need to watch: Fox is free with an antenna. Fox and FS1 are included with most pay TV providers, and they also stream with a Fox One subscription (starting at $19.99/month).

MLB Network

Main days: Throughout the week

Here’s our backstop, unassuming but reliable. The “MLB Network Showcase” has been around since 2009. The network usually airs a couple of games each week.

What you need to watch: A pay TV provider with MLB Network, typically included in standard or sports plans. MLB Network also streams with an MLB.TV subscription (starting at $134.99/year).

NBC/Peacock

Main day: Sunday, Opening Day

“Sunday Night Baseball” migrates from ESPN to NBC and Peacock, as the Universal network returns to live MLB coverage for the first time in 25 years. NBC, its streamer and the linear NBC Sports Network combine for 27 prime-time games and 34 afternoon ones in 2026. Some of the Sunday nighters are exclusive to Peacock.

One of Tampa’s Peacock spotlights will come on July 5. The Rays have a road trip to face the Houston Astros as part of a special “Star Spangled Sunday” lineup.

NBC’s lineup launches with an Opening Day doubleheader on March 26 and concludes with the playoff wild-card series. To trumpet the return, the network has brought on some big names, including Bob Costas, Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo.

Peacock usually has a live game in its “MLB Sunday Leadoff” spot, most of them with noon local starts.

What you need to watch: NBC is free with an antenna, but Peacock requires a subscription (starting at $10.99/month for live sports). NBCSN is included in select pay TV providers.

Netflix

Main days: Opening Night, Home Run Derby, “Field of Dreams”

Already venturing into live sports with NFL Christmas Day, Netflix has three MLB exclusives this season, starting with the 2026 opener on March 25.

July 13 is the Home Run Derby, airing with All-Star festivities. Aug. 13 is the “Field of Dreams” game, a neutral-site showcase in Iowa with the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins. The Netflix arrangement runs through 2028.

What you need to watch: A Netflix subscription (starting at $7.99/month).

TBS

Main day: Tuesday

TBS Tuesdays continue in 2026. The network’s play-by-play broadcasters are Brian Anderson and Alex Faust. The studio show features Pedro Martinez, Jimmy Rollins and Curtis Granderson. TBS also has this year’s ALDS and ALCS playoff rounds.

What you need to watch: A pay TV provider with TBS, or an HBO Max subscription (starting at $10.99/month).

Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

Rays’ all-time leaderboard
Hits — Carl Crawford (1,480)
HRs — Evan Longoria (261)
RBIs — Evan Longoria (892)
Wins — James Shields (87)
Ks — James Shields (1,250)
Saves — Roberto Hernández (101)

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