Angels won’t broadcast any spring training games on TV

The Angels finally have a plan for where fans can watch games this season, but apparently, it doesn’t include spring training.

Orange County Register beat writer Jeff Fletcher reported Wednesday that the team won’t show any Cactus League games on television this spring. That means Angels games will be available on the MLB app when opponents choose to broadcast them, but the team itself isn’t producing any spring training telecasts.

The Angels announced Feb. 10 that they were partnering with MLB to stream games directly to in-market fans through the league’s direct-to-consumer platform — the same setup most other teams that left FanDuel Sports Network are using. But Fletcher’s update indicates that details are still being worked out regarding cable distribution.

“They are still working out the details of the regular season TV,” Fletcher wrote. “They will be streamed via MLB and cable TBD.”

The Angels’ situation has been in flux since January, when all nine MLB teams still under contract with Main Street Sports Group terminated their deals after a proposed sale to DAZN collapsed.

The Angels were initially reported to be likely candidates to join MLB’s in-house production and distribution. Then reports surfaced that they were also exploring launching their own network, which would require buying out Main Street Sports’ stake in their joint venture first. It would also require the Angels to facilitate production for their own broadcasts, rather than relying on the league’s apparatus. Sports Business Journal reported in early February that the Angels had asked MLB for more time before deciding whether to join the league’s centralized media operation.

Most Main Street teams moved to MLB production and distribution immediately. The Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Royals, Cardinals, Reds, and Tigers all announced their plans within days of terminating their Main Street contracts. The Braves went a different direction, exploring the launch of their own regional sports network similar to what the Rangers did after leaving Main Street’s predecessor, Diamond Sports Group.

The Braves — which launched their own regional sports network for the regular season while navigating the fallout from Main Street — announced last week that they’d broadcast 15 spring training games through Gray Media’s local television stations across 26 markets in the Southeast, all free over-the-air. Atlanta’s production infrastructure for its new network isn’t fully operational, just like the Angels, but it found a partner to bridge the gap for Grapefruit League games.

Any way you slice it, it’s a disappointing outcome for fans. Spring training is supposed to be an opportunity to reconnect with the team, watch prospects compete for roster spots, and see veterans shake off the rust. The Angels are denying fans that experience because the team isn’t producing any telecasts. Fans who want to watch Angels’ spring training will be entirely dependent on whether the opponent broadcasts the game and makes it available via the MLB app, or they’ll have to listen to the Angels’ radio broadcast.

The only exception is the Freeway Series against the Dodgers, which will be shown in Southern California because the Dodgers have their broadcast operation fully operational. Everything else is up to the opponent.

The good news is that the regular-season streaming plan is in place. In-market fans will have access via MLB.tv starting Opening Day. The cable component is still being negotiated, but there’s a clear path for fans to watch games, even if traditional television distribution takes longer to sort out. That’s more clarity than the Angels were providing a week ago.

But skipping spring training doesn’t suggest the Angels are doing everything possible to rebuild their relationship with fans who have stuck with them through years of disappointment, both on and off the field.