Phillies spring training game won’t be on NBC Sports Philadelphia or any other TV channel Tuesday
Good Tuesday #GoodTuesday
The Phillies will take on the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon as they continue to work their way through spring training, but good luck finding the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or anywhere else on television.
That’s because the Phillies will exclusively stream the game on its website, Phillies.com, beginning with the first pitch at 1:05 p.m.
Calling the game will be Gregg Murphy, the host of the team’s pre- and postgame radio show on 94.1 WIP. Joining him in the booth is former Phillies shortstop Kevin Stocker, who will split time on the radio this season with veteran announcer Larry Anderson. It’s the first time the Phillies have streamed a game on their website with announcers.
The live stream will feature two cameras on the field and a third in the booth, to catch any potential guests joining the broadcast. There won’t be any replays, pitch clocks, or close-ups, so it won’t be as robust a broadcast as most Phillies fans are accustomed to viewing. But viewers will be able to rewind plays.
Bailey Falter, who is competing with top prospect Andrew Painter for the fifth spot in the Phillies’ rotation, will pitch Tuesday. In his first spring training start last week against the Boston Red Sox, Falter faced eight batters, recorded four outs, and allowed one run.
The Phillies decision to stream three spring training games comes at a time when MLB is looking into streaming games as regional sports networks across the country face a difficult future due to cord cutting
While the Phillies have a 25-year deal with NBC Sports Philadelphia that runs through 2041, other teams aren’t so lucky. Four MLB teams — the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Colorado Rockies — were informed last month by Warner Bros. Discovery they are getting out of the regional sports business entirely and will no longer pay to broadcast games.
Diamond Sports Group, which airs the local MLB, NBA, and NHL games for over 40 teams on 19 Bally Sports networks, is expected to file for bankruptcy later this month.
The Phillies will stream two more spring training games this season exclusively on its website — March 12 and 28 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
How to stream Phillies-Rays on Phillies.com
Phillies-Rays will be available for free at Phillies.com beginning at 1:05 p.m. Eastern — no cable authentication or login required. You can stream it on your phone, desktop, or tablet.
You’ll be able to rewind the livestream, but it won’t be archived if you were planning to watch it later.
The livestream won’t be available on the MLB app, so if you want to watch the game on your television, you’ll have to cast it using your phone or another device.
Phillies spring training TV ratings
So far, NBC Sports Philadelphia has aired five spring training games, so it’s a bit early to break down TV ratings on the network. But one bright note was the Phillies’ Feb. 26 game against the Minnesota Twins, which was NBC Sports Philadelphia’s highest-rated spring training game in three years, according to the network.
Over on ESPN, this has been the most-watch spring training in seven years, up 29 percent from 2021 (the network didn’t air any spring training games last season), according to Nielsen numbers. About 367,000 viewers tuned into ESPN to watch Red Sox-Phillies last week, up 25 percent versus a comparable game on the network in 2021.
Remaining Phillies spring training TV schedule
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