You’re sitting on the couch, jersey on, chips within reach, and you realize you have no clue where the game is actually playing. It happens to the best of us. Whether you are looking for the St. Louis Cardinals or the Arizona Cardinals, the "where to watch" map has changed a lot lately. Between corporate bankruptcies, name changes for regional networks, and the NFL’s ever-shifting streaming deals, finding the right channel isn't as simple as just hitting the "up" button on your remote.
Honestly, the TV landscape for sports in 2026 feels a bit like a jigsaw puzzle with a few missing pieces. But we've got the map.
What Channel Are the Cardinals On? St. Louis MLB Broadcasts
If you are trying to find the St. Louis Cardinals, things got pretty weird recently. For years, you probably knew the home for Redbirds baseball as Bally Sports Midwest. That’s gone. Following the massive shakeup with Diamond Sports Group and the rebranding to FanDuel Sports Network, the St. Louis Cardinals actually terminated their broadcast deal early in 2026.
Wait, what? Yeah. It’s a mess.
Basically, the team is in a transition period. For the 2026 season, many games are moving to a hybrid model. If you live in the St. Louis area, your best bet for local games is now KMOV Channel 4 or Matrix Midwest. This is a massive shift toward "over-the-air" TV, which is actually great news because it means you can often catch the game with a simple digital antenna.
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The Streaming Situation for MLB
Cable is dying, we get it. If you’ve cut the cord, you aren't out of luck. You can still stream the St. Louis Cardinals through several platforms:
- Fubo: They generally carry the local sports networks that took over from Bally.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Still the most reliable "everything" option for sports fans who don't want to think about it.
- MLB.TV: This is the gold standard if you live outside of the St. Louis market. However, if you live in Missouri or parts of Illinois, you’ll get blacked out. It’s frustrating, but that’s the rule.
- Amazon Prime Video: In some regions, you can add a local sports package directly to your Prime account to catch the live feed.
Arizona Cardinals: Your Sunday NFL Destination
Now, if you’re looking for the Arizona Cardinals, that’s a different beast entirely. NFL broadcasting is more stable but spreads its wings across more apps. For the 2026 season, most Sunday afternoon games for the Cardinals land on FOX or CBS.
If the Cardinals are playing an NFC opponent (like the Rams or 49ers), look at FOX. If they are playing an AFC team, check CBS first. It’s not a hard rule anymore, but it's a solid starting point.
Primetime and Special Windows
You can't just rely on the local channels for everything. The NFL loves their exclusive windows.
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- Thursday Night Football: This is almost exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. If you don't have a Prime sub, you're usually limited to watching on a local affiliate only if you live in the Phoenix market.
- Monday Night Football: Head over to ESPN or ABC. Occasionally, they’ll do a "ManningCast" on ESPN2 if you want something a bit more conversational.
- Sunday Night Football: This stays on NBC and Peacock.
Watching the Cardinals Without Cable
Maybe you're done with the $200 monthly bill. I don't blame you. Streaming has become the primary way most fans figure out what channel are the cardinals on without the baggage of a two-year contract.
For the Arizona Cardinals, YouTube TV is arguably the best "one-and-done" solution because it includes the local channels (FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC) and ESPN. Plus, you can add NFL Sunday Ticket if you live in, say, Maine and want to see every single Arizona snap.
If you're more of a budget-conscious fan, Sling TV is okay, but keep in mind that they don't always carry every local channel in every market. You might end up missing those Sunday afternoon FOX games unless you supplement with a $20 antenna.
Dealing with Blackouts and Out-of-Market Woes
There is nothing worse than opening an app and seeing "This content is not available in your area."
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For St. Louis fans, the blackout territory is famously huge. It covers most of Missouri, mid-to-southern Illinois, and parts of Iowa and Tennessee. If you are in those zones, MLB.TV will block the live game. Your only choice is a local cable provider, a streaming service like Fubo that carries the new local partner, or a VPN—though the leagues have gotten much better at blocking those.
For Arizona fans, blackouts are less of an issue for the NFL unless the game fails to sell out (which is rare these days) or you're trying to use NFL+ to watch on a big screen. NFL+ is great for watching on a phone or tablet, but it won't let you cast the live local game to your 65-inch TV.
Actionable Steps to Get Ready for Game Day
Don't wait until five minutes before kickoff to figure this out.
- Check the Schedule: Both MLB and NFL schedules list the "national" TV partner (like ESPN or Peacock) well in advance.
- Buy an Antenna: For about $25, a decent digital antenna can save you from a lot of St. Louis broadcast headaches by picking up KMOV or other local affiliates.
- Verify your Zip Code: If you’re using a streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo, make sure your home area is set correctly so you get the right "local" channels.
- Trial Period Hack: If there is a massive game on a channel you don't have (like a Cardinals game on Peacock), most of these services offer a 7-day free trial. Just remember to cancel it the next morning.
The reality is that "what channel are the cardinals on" changes depending on who they are playing and where you are standing. For St. Louis, look toward the new local broadcast partners like KMOV or the FanDuel Sports Network app. For Arizona, keep your remote tuned to FOX and CBS, but keep your Amazon and Peacock logins handy for those primetime matchups.
Double-check your local listings a few hours before the start time, as last-minute "flex" scheduling can move NFL games from the afternoon to the night slot.