Here are answers to (some) FAQ about Mariners TV and streaming options

PEORIA, Ariz. — “The answers are all out there, we just need to ask the right questions.”

With apologies to Oscar Wilde, author of this philosophical quote, he wasn’t living in the age of social media or trying to find out how to watch his favorite baseball team this season.

Since the Seattle Mariners made the decision to shutter ROOT Sports Northwest — their regional sports network responsible for airing the bulk of their 162-game schedule — there has been plenty of consternation and concern about being able to watch them play in the 2026 season.

Even in the years when they were expected to be bad or mediocre, which was a large portion in the first two decades of the 2000s, there was still a dedicated and loyal fan base wanting to watch their favorite team, regardless of expectations, every night. It was part of their summer evenings.

Following last year’s magical run to their first American League West title since 2001 and a postseason run that fell agonizingly short of making the World Series, the anticipation of even more success in 2026 and interest in watching the Mariners play this season has never been higher.

Yet with opening day upon us, there is a large portion of the fan base, those who prefer to watch games via their cable provider, still wondering how they will watch the Mariners. It’s a constant question asked on social media and via email from fans who have a right to be concerned. They have received minimal information and little clarification from Major League Baseball or the Mariners on how they will watch games.

The club’s representatives have simply referred to the information provided when Mariners TV and Mariners.TV were announced: “Mariners TV will continue to be available through traditional cable and satellite providers, consistent with how fans have watched Mariners baseball in the past.

Specific information on providers and channels will be announced once confirmed closer to Opening Day.”

Well, opening day is Thursday and fans with cable providers like Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, Spectrum, Fubo and YouTube TV still have no idea if their service will have Mariners TV. They likely won’t know until that morning whether their provider will carry Mariners TV and what channel it will be on.

Multiple requests for at least a public statement from the team outlining the situation or at least offering some comfort or confidence that it will all work out in the end have been declined.

Sources indicate that it isn’t indifference from the team, rather it’s their own lack of information.

Prior to the 2025 season, the Mariners opted to have Major League Baseball handle the production of their game telecasts, joining several teams that were already under that umbrella. By late last season, the Mariners, who held the controlling interest in ROOT since April of 2013, opted to have MLB handle all aspects of their game telecasts, including negotiating the rights and carriage fees with cable providers.

Since MLB is handling all aspects of production and distribution, it can also determine when everything is announced and there appears to be no impetus to provide that information sooner rather than later. It’s not exactly a fan-friendly philosophy.

If I watched the Mariners on cable last season, can I watch them there again?

Presumably, you will be able to watch them on whatever your cable provider was last season. The Mariners have been adamant that providers like Comcast, Spectrum, DirecTV and Fubo, who carried ROOT last year, will carry Mariners TV in 2026.

Perhaps the best way to look at it is to check on other teams that fall under MLB’s distribution umbrella. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres were somewhat forced into that agreement with MLB when Diamond Sports Group, who owned their regional sports network, declared bankruptcy and couldn’t meet its financial requirements.

DBacks TV and Padres TV — we’re sensing a theme on the network names — are available to all the major cable providers in their respective local footprint, including Cox, Spectrum, Comcast, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Fubo and Orbitel.

Last year, MLB released the channel lineup for the Diamondbacks and Padres through their organizations on the morning of March 27. Opening day last season was on March 27.

YouTube TV is missing from that list. It did not carry any regional sports networks last season and stopped carrying MLB Network over a dispute for the carriage fees. It seems unlikely that they will carry any of networks.

Will there be an additional fee for Mariners TV on my cable system?

The Mariners have maintained that whatever tier ROOT Sports was available on last season will be the same for Mariners TV. It won’t be part of the basic cable packages, but likely available higher tier that include sports packages, which is what it took to get ROOT last season. When Comcast decided to move ROOT to a higher more expensive tier before the 2024 season, it set off a chain reaction of events from the Mariners.

What is Mariners.TV?

That’s the direct-to-consumer streaming option for fans that want to use their mobile devices or a streaming device like a Roku, an Amazon Firestick or a smart TV.

To be clear, you will need the MLB app to access the stream. Some smart televisions pre-2017 don’t have the capability of using the MLB app.

Fans in the Mariners’ television footprint — Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaiʻi and parts of British Columbia and Alberta — can subscribe to the streaming service for $99.99 for a season or $19.99 a month. The subscription will work for multiple devices.

A reminder that national TV games on FOX or NBC or games carried on Apple TV’s Friday night baseball won’t be available with that subscription. NBC and Peacock have taken over Sunday night baseball from ESPN. The Mariners have been scheduled for three Sunday night games:

March 29 — Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners (Peacock)

May 17 — San Diego Padres at Seattle Mariners (Peacock)

August 16 — Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (NBC and Peacock)

And they are listed for two Friday night Apple TV games through June:

* March 27 — Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners

* May 1 — Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners

What if live outside of the Pacific Northwest and want to watch games?

For fans living outside of the footprint, they can watch games via an MLB.TV subscription at $149 per season. That subscription gets you access to any MLB game not in your current television market.

There is also a deal where fans can get Mariners.TV and MLB.TV, which basically gives them access to every MLB game that isn’t on a national network or Apple TV. That costs $199.99 for the entire season. It’s a plan for the die-hard baseball fans or for households with fans of different teams.

Some cable providers also offer the Extra Innings package which essentially offers all the games on the respective regional sports networks with local blackout restrictions.

Will there ever be games for free?

Yes, there will be a handful of games aired on local broadcast television. Stay tuned.