Rangers set to join Dallas Stars on streaming platform Victory+
A cryptic post on the Victory+ page late Tuesday evening caught the attention of Texas Rangers fans. The post showed "73 Days" turn into "72 Days," which many fans quickly connected to the 72 days remaining until the Rangers' 2025 Opening Day. Soon after, multiple sources within the Rangers organization confirmed the team had reached a deal with the streaming platform.
Victory+ has served as the home for the Dallas Stars this season, replacing Bally Sports and allowing North Texas fans to watch their team after criticism during the Bally Sports era. While streaming is free for Stars fans, it will not be for Rangers fans. The team announced full season coverage will cost $100, which breaks down to approximately 62 cents per game. Some fans expressed discontent, noting that other teams offer free app-based viewing. However, considering Spring Training games and continuous Rangers coverage, the price appears to be a good value for a full season.
The move aims to expand the Rangers' fan base. Over the past two years, watching the club became challenging due to Bally Sports' restrictions, making direct-to-consumer options difficult and prohibitively expensive for many fans. This Victory+ deal is only step one in reaching a broader audience, as Chief Operating Officer Neil Leibman stated the Rangers also plan to finalize deals for standard cable and over-the-air broadcasts. These additional deals are expected to take longer as the Rangers negotiate with individual companies and carriers to meet specific business criteria and numbers.
This deal follows more than two years of uncertainty, with the past two offseasons overshadowed by the club's search for local Rangers game broadcasts and a revenue source after Diamond Sports' bankruptcy eliminated their previous earnings. This became a more pressing issue in the 2023 offseason after the team won its first World Series title. The full terms of the deal have not yet been released, so financial details are unknown, but the $100 price tag is expected to generate more revenue for the Rangers, helping them maintain a top payroll while offering fans an affordable price for full-season coverage.
Owner Ray Davis opted not to follow the path of many other teams, such as San Diego, Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Milwaukee and Minnesota, which surrendered their broadcasting rights to Major League Baseball. He and the Texas Rangers remained vigilant, waiting until they found a solution they truly believed in. While the Rangers' broader efforts to expand their reach are still ongoing, the Victory+ deal marks a substantial first step.
The service is expected to be available next month, in time for Spring Training, and will kick off the Rangers' new partnership with their Dallas-Fort Worth counterpart.
