This week Major League Baseball announced a landmark deal that will alter its media-rights landscape for the next three seasons.
More news: Padres’ 2-Time All-Star, Cy Young Award Winner Dies
The Padres’ streaming and linear distribution models will not be affected.
The team announced Friday that play-by-play broadcaster Don Orsillo and analyst Mark “Mudcat” Grant will return to the booth next season, and that Padres TV will continue in 2026 with no changes to the current distribution model.
An update on how to watch Padres baseball in 2026: pic.twitter.com/APKvDZOnnS
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 21, 2025
“There are no changes to Padres TV for the 2026 season,” the team announced. “You will continue to have the same great access to watch Padres baseball with Don & Mud both in and out of market in 2026 through the Padres.TV streaming service. No additional service purchase will be required to enjoy Padres.TV next season.
“As always, Padres games will also be available via linear cable and satellite distributors, as well as over-the-air telecasts for select games in 2026. Thank you for your continued support of Padres baseball!”
More news: Padres’ Mason Miller Has Clear Message About Becoming Starting Pitcher
As part of Major League Baseball’s new $750-million-a-year distribution package announced Wednesday, ESPN will have the rights to distribute out-of-market broadcasts for all 30 teams, and six teams in-market — including the Padres. Those rights previously belonged to the league.
ESPN has no incentive to disrupt the delivery model that fans of the Padres (and the other five teams whose in-market rights it acquired) only recently grew accustomed to.
In May 2023, the Padres’ local broadcasts were taken over by MLB once the Padres ceased ties with its former regional sports network, Diamond Sports Group.
Nor does ESPN have any incentive to disrupt the play-by-play/analyst combos in the individual markets — some of the faces and voices fans most closely associate with their favorite teams.
Orsillo joined the Padres’ broadcast team in 2016 and assumed full-time television play-by-play duties in 2017. He’s won six Emmy Awards in his career for outstanding play-by-play (2003 and 2004 with Boston), including four (2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023) with the Padres.
Grant will enter his 31st season as a color analyst for Padres television broadcasts in 2026. Grant pitched for the Padres from 1987-90, and retired after pitching briefly in Taiwan in 1996 at the conclusion of his eight-year major league career.
The new contract that allows ESPN to produce and distribute Padres telecasts runs through the end of the 2028 season.
Latest Padres News
For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.