Brace yourself for big news: 10 St. Louis Cardinals games are headed to free over-the-air TV this season, expanding access for fans across multiple markets. The St. Louis Cardinals and Gray Media have teamed up to bring a slate of Friday-night broadcasts to viewers on Gray Media stations or their syndicated partners in a broad regional footprint.
Markets slated to carry the games include:
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Springfield, Missouri
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri / Paducah, Kentucky
- Champaign, Illinois
- Peoria, Illinois
- Quincy, Illinois
- Rochester-Mason City, Illinois
- Rockford, Illinois
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Davenport, Iowa
- Ottumwa, Iowa
- Sioux City, Iowa
- Evansville, Indiana
- Jonesboro, Arkansas
- Memphis, Tennessee
In Memphis specifically, these games will be broadcast on the Mid-South Sports & Entertainment Network (Channel 5.3).
Here are the Cardinals’ regular-season game times in Central Daylight Time (CDT):
- April 24: Cardinals vs. Seattle Mariners at 7:00 p.m.
- May 22: Cardinals @ Reds at 5:30 p.m.
- May 29: Cardinals vs. Cubs at 6:00 p.m.
- June 12: Cardinals @ Twins at 7:00 p.m.
- June 26: Cardinals vs. Marlins at 7:00 p.m.
- July 3: Cardinals @ Cubs at 3:00 p.m.
- July 24: Cardinals vs. Reds at 7:00 p.m.
- August 7: Cardinals vs. Rockies at 7:00 p.m.
- August 28: Cardinals vs. Pirates at 7:00 p.m.
- September 11: Cardinals vs. White Sox at 7:00 p.m.
Note: Start times are subject to change.
Quote from the Cardinals organization underscores the significance of this expansion: expanding access through free, over-the-air broadcasts strengthens connections with fans in the St. Louis region and beyond. Anuk Karunaratne, the Cardinals’ Senior Vice President of Business Operations, emphasized that feedback from fans who watched games on KMOV, Matrix Midwest, and Gray-TV affiliates last season was overwhelmingly positive. He highlighted the value of a free-to-air platform that enables Cardinals Nation to follow the team easily throughout the season. This arrangement represents a practical way to reach fans who prefer traditional TV or who don’t subscribe to pay TV, while supporting the team’s community presence.
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Controversy-ready note: some readers may wonder whether free, over-the-air broadcasts dilute the value of local media partnerships or compete with regional cable sports networks. What’s your take on how these kinds of affiliations shape fan access, pricing, and exposure for smaller markets? Share your thoughts in the comments about whether free TV help or hurt the broader fan experience.
