Braves See Overall Healthy TV Revenue in First Year with BravesVision

The Atlanta Braves ushered in a new era of TV coverage in 2026, and while overall revenues were down, they could still be considered strong

The Braves did just fine in the new era of TV | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the release of the latest quarterly report, we now have a glimpse into the financial success of BravesVision, the Atlanta Braves’ new TV home. 

Entering the 2026 season, there was a major question mark. The regional sports network, known at the end as the FanDuel Sports Network, would cease to carry games. The Braves were taked with pivoting. 

While other teams took their broadcasts to be operated by Major League Baseball, the Braves kept theirs in-house and launched BravesVision. Access could be purchased directly by the consumer and certain TV providers carried it as well. 

Atlanta Braves Holdings LLC, the owner of the team, noted early in their latest quarterly report that they led the league in “in-market direct-to-consumer subscribers.”

While the differences are not stated, it can be presumed that this specifically revolves around those who directly subscribed to the product. Those who got it through, for example, Spectrum or DirecTV are not counted. 

With that note made, what’s left to see is how this translated financially. 

An Understandable Revenue Decline

Overall, there was a notable decrease in revenue. Media-related revenue, which includes both BravesVision and money from national TV rights, was down 8% year-to-year. 

Unsurprisingly, this was attributed to “the timing of revenue recognition under BravesVision linear distribution agreements compared to our previous long-term local broadcasting arrangement, as well as changes in certain national media rights arrangements, including the increased commercialization of digital media rights through MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (“MLBAM”).”

To put it more simply, the team went through an adjustment period, and it was reflected in the revenue. 

BravesVision was announced in late February. Most spring training games were carried on the Gray TV stations, and TV carriers for BravesVision were being announced within hours of first pitch on opening day. 

The first quarter for TV revenue was essentially a wash. As a result, first-quarter media revenue was down 41% compared to 2025. 

When you’re spending most of the quarter learning how your games are even going to be carried, revenue will take a hit for a bit. 

After that, they had to spend the full season building the subscriber base. That took time. 

Now that TV providers were signed on, it also meant that revenue in that regard would start to come in. Those are called carriage fees, and that’s how TV providers pay to carry linear channels. 

Throughout the season, the Braves found ways to try to get more subscribers. They did flash sales and scaled the price later in the season. 

All things considered, an 8% drop is likely minor compared to what other teams in smaller markets may have experienc experienced. 

The Year-to-Year Number Doesn’t Tell Full Story

When looking at quarterly numbers, the gap slowly closed for media-related revenue. 

For example, when comparing the first six months of 2026 to the first six months of 2025, media-related revenue was down 12%. The second quarter of 2026 saw a 10% dip compared to the second quarter of 2025 (April through June).

However, the third quarter of 2026 (July through September) only saw a 4% decrease in media-related revenue compared to the third quarter of 2025. That subscriber base has built up enough that revenues are catching up. 

This specifically compares the numbers from 2025. If you compared the 2026 revenue to 2024, they’d still be ahead. Through the first three quarters of the 2024 season (January through September), revenue in this area stood at $144 million compared to $151 million in 2026. That’s a 4.8% increase. 

Overall, the Braves successfully made up revenue during a key transition period and have healthy numbers. 

What Does This Mean for the 2027 Braves? 

If there wasn’t a looming lockout, then there would be full confidence that TV revenue would continue to grow. 

However, if there are no games, then they’ll lose money. It’s as simple as that. If the numbers don’t look quite right at this same time next year, you’ll know why. 

The Braves may have good revenue in relation to the games they play, but it would likely mean overall numbers are down. It’s like attendance in that manner. They may average healthy per-game numbers once the season gets going, but that overall number will be much lower. 

Time will tell what unfolds for year two, but for year one, they can walk away happy with what they have assembled. 

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