The 2026 baseball season has started and there have been some big changes in how fans can watch games from home. 14 teams have opted to move away from regional sports networks (RSNs) and have the MLB produce and distribute their games. Some teams have created their own networks to handle distribution in-house. Others are sticking with their traditional RSN deals.
The Royals will air most games on Royals.TV for fans that live in-market. Below, we’re sharing how to watch games at home this season.
What Channels are the Kansas City Royals on This Season?
Most Royals games will air on Royals.TV, which you can sign up for directly through the MLB.
National matchups this season will be broadcast on ESPN, NBC (now the home of Sunday Night Baseball), FOX, FS1, TBS, Apple TV (exclusive streamer of Friday Night Baseball), and Peacock.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu + Live TV | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |
| Royals.TV | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* | ✔ | |
| FOX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Watch the Kansas City Royals on DIRECTV
On DIRECTV, you can watch nationally aired games on the base Entertainment package, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Choice package to get your local RSN.
Watch the Kansas City Royals on Fubo
On Fubo, you can watch MLB games on Fox, FS1, and ESPN with the Pro plan after a free trial. A highlight for Fubo is the addition of local RSNs on the base package. However, the service is missing a few key channels for baseball season, including TBS and NBC.
Watch the Kansas City Royals on Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV has over 100 channels to watch live sports, news, events, and more. With a Hulu + Live TV subscription, you’ll also get access to Disney+ and ESPN Select for even more sports. Unfortunately, you won’t get access to most RSNs with Hulu.
Watch the Kansas City Royals on Sling TV
With Sling TV, you can watch MLB games on ESPN with a Sling Orange subscription and on FS1 with a Sling Blue subscription. In most locations, you’ll be missing local channels and Sling TV does not offer RSNs.
Watch the Kansas City Royals on YouTube TV
YouTube TV subscribers can watch MLB games on Fox, FS1, TBS and ESPN, all included with the base package.
Watch Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV
An Apple TV subscription includes access to Friday Night Baseball, when doubleheaders stream exclusively on the platform. View the full schedule of games on Apple TV here.
Watch Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock
As part of a new rights deal with NBC, Peacock will now be the streaming home of Sunday Night games. View the full schedule of games on Peacock here.
Watch Out-of-Market Games on MLB.TV
Cord cutters can now stream live out-of-market games on MLB.TV right from the ESPN app. This change follows a new rights deal between MLB and ESPN, reached late last year.