Padres.TV 2026: What Channel Is The Padres Game On?

There’s no bigger mess in baseball today than trying to watch your favorite team live on local TV. Broadcast rights are a tangle of ancient rules, regional restrictions and corporate deal-making. The good news: for 2026, things have actually simplified a bit. Here’s the full picture.

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The Short Answer: Padres.TV

For San Diego-area fans, Padres.TV is your home base. MLB produces and distributes Padres games directly, and Padres.TV is where the vast majority of games live — every home and away game that isn’t a national exclusive. No blackouts for local viewers.

• $19.99/month or $89.99 for the full season
• Stream on the MLB app, mlb.com, or through your cable/satellite provider
• Start with a free trial. (More Info
• Subject to national exclusivities (more on those below)

Start Your Free Trial

Watch on Cable or Satellite

If you prefer a traditional TV setup, the Padres.TV feed is carried on these San Diego providers:

• DirecTV — channel 694
• Cox — channel 83
• Spectrum — channels 305 or 443
• AT&T U-Verse — channels 781 or 1781

Not sure what’s available in your area? Use the Padres channel finder — enter your zip code and it will tell you exactly where to find the game.

Free Over-the-Air Games — CBS 8 & CW San Diego

This is genuinely good news. In 2026, 10 Padres games air free on local broadcast TV in the San Diego market — no subscription, no cable required.

• CBS 8 (KFMB 8.1) — 10 Saturday games throughout the season, starting May 2 vs. the White Sox. Other CBS dates include Jun 27 vs. Dodgers, Jul 4 at Dodgers, Jul 11 vs. Blue Jays, Aug 1 vs. Giants, Aug 15 at Guardians, Aug 22 vs. Twins, and Sep 5 vs. Yankees.
• CW San Diego (KFMB 8.2) — at least one Friday game, Jul 17 at the Royals.

National Broadcasts — The Add-Ons

The Padres are a high-draw team, so a good chunk of games get pulled from the local feed and moved to national platforms. You’ll need access to these for full coverage:

• Apple TV+ — Friday Night Baseball. Free with an Apple TV+ subscription. Games May 8 (vs. Cardinals) and Jun 26 (vs. Dodgers) confirmed so far.
• Peacock — Sunday morning/afternoon exclusives. May 17, Jul 5, Aug 9, Sep 13 on the current schedule.
• Netflix — New for 2026. Home Run Derby and at least one special broadcast.
• ESPN / ESPN App — May 7, Jun 22 confirmed.
• FOX — May 9, May 16, Aug 8 confirmed.
• FS1 — Mar 30, Jul 6, Jul 25 confirmed.
• TBS — Jun 2 (Lou Gehrig Day at Philadelphia).
• MLB Network — Jun 27, Jul 2.

For the full broadcast schedule, visit the official Padres programming guide.

Streaming Options

Padres.TV — $19.99/month or $99.99/season. In-market, no blackouts (subject to national exclusivities). Start with a 7-day free trial.

Padres.TV + MLB.TV Bundle — $179.99/season. Adds every other out-of-market game in the league. Worth it if you follow multiple teams or travel frequently.

MLB.TV (out-of-market only) — $139.99/season, now available on demand or through ESPN. If you live outside San Diego, this is your path to Padres baseball. Details here.

fuboTV — Carries Padres games for cord-cutters, plus national channels (FOX, FS1, ESPN, MLB Network). Free trial available.

Padres.TV FAQ

I live in San Diego. What do I need?
Subscribe to Padres.TV ($99.99/season or $19.99/month). This covers all home and away games without local blackouts, subject to national exclusivities listed above.

I’m a Season Ticket Member with MLB.TV. Am I covered?
Not automatically. Season Ticket Members receive a free MLB.TV All Teams subscription as a benefit — but that package does not include in-market Padres games. Members need to separately purchase the Padres.TV package to stream locally.

I live outside San Diego. What do I need?
MLB.TV covers out-of-market games. Monthly options are also available.

How do I know if I’m in the Padres home territory?
Use the zip code finder here.

Padres.TV support: Have questions about Padres.TV? Call 866-244-2291 or visit the MLB support page.

Opening Day 2026

The Padres open at home Thursday, March 26 against the Detroit Tigers. First pitch is 1:10 pm PDT. Nick Pivetta is the Opening Day starter. It’s also the first home opener for manager Craig Stammen. The game airs on Padres.TV and MLB Network.

Padres TV Announcers

Don Orsillo and Mark Grant (“Don and Mud”) are back in the booth for 2026, confirmed. Jesse Agler and Tony Gwynn Jr. handle select games. In Spanish: Eduardo Ortega, el hombre, el mito, la leyenda, alongside former Padres catcher Carlos Hernandez.

Watch at a Bar

Misery loves company. Find one of these bars showing the game.

Radio

Old school never goes out of style. Catch every game on the Padres radio network — 97.3 KWFN in English, XEMO 860 AM in Spanish.

Wherever you’re watching, visit our Padres Store, support the site and get your gear for the season.