The Texas Rangers have entered into a multi-year partnership with Victory+, making the streaming platform the exclusive home for the team’s games starting in the 2025 MLB season. The deal signals another high-profile shift toward direct-to-consumer sports broadcasting, further eroding the dominance of the traditional Regional Sports Network (RSN) model.
Beginning in 2025, Rangers fans will be able to stream all regular-season games and select Spring Training matchups on Victory+ for $100 annually. This pricing positions the service as a more accessible option for fans compared to the increasingly obsolete RSN structure, which often relies on bundled cable packages. Further package details are expected to be announced soon, and early-access signups are already underway.
Context for the Deal
This partnership is part of the Rangers’ broader effort to expand fan access to broadcasts, with hints of additional cable or over-the-air broadcast options to complement the Victory+ offering. Rangers leadership has characterized this move as a pivotal first step in modernizing the team’s media strategy.
“This agreement with Victory+ allows us to give Rangers fans a seamless, direct streaming experience while continuing to refine and finalize our overall broadcast strategy for 2025,” said Neil Leibman, Chairman of Rangers Sports Media & Entertainment Company. “Victory+ has shown its capability to deliver a high-quality, fan-first platform that can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving sports media landscape.”
Implications for the Streaming Industry
The deal places the Rangers alongside other professional teams, such as the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks, who have partnered with Victory+. As detailed in our take on Victory+, a platform is redefining local sports broadcasting with an emphasis on scalability and accessibility. Unlike many streaming services reliant on subscriptions, Victory+ primarily operates as a free, ad-supported platform, making the Rangers’ subscription-driven model a departure from its typical approach.
Victory+ CEO Neil Gruninger expressed optimism about this partnership, calling it a step forward in expanding the service’s regional sports offerings: “The Rangers joining Victory+ represents a huge opportunity to bring high-quality, accessible sports content to fans throughout the region, continuing our mission of delivering a seamless streaming experience.”
A Strategic Shift Away from RSNs
The Rangers’ move reflects a broader industry trend: the collapse of RSNs as a viable distribution model due to cord-cutting and the changing economics of broadcast sports. The success of direct-to-consumer platforms like Victory+ underscores the growing preference for team-controlled streaming options, which allow franchises to retain more control over their content and advertising revenue.
Teams like the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz have already demonstrated the benefits of bypassing RSNs, reporting significant viewership increases by making games freely available via streaming and local TV. For the Rangers, Victory+ represents a similar pivot, though its subscription fee suggests the team is balancing fan accessibility with revenue demands.
The Take
The Rangers-Victory+ partnership exemplifies how professional teams are responding to the decline of RSNs by embracing direct-to-consumer models. This strategy offers teams greater control over distribution, audience engagement, and monetization while reducing dependence on third-party broadcasters. However, the success of such models depends heavily on two factors: the ability to generate sufficient revenue through advertising and subscriptions, and the ability to deliver a high-quality, seamless streaming experience.
Victory+ has already proven its technical reliability and ad-tech innovation in its partnerships with the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks, offering lessons for other teams exploring similar paths. With more franchises evaluating their media strategies in response to RSN instability, the Rangers’ decision provides a case study for the future of local sports broadcasting.
