So, you’re sitting there wondering what channel is Cardinals game on today because, honestly, trying to keep track of sports broadcasting in 2026 feels like needing a PhD in streaming services. It’s annoying. One day you’re on a local cable channel, the next you’re digging through an app you forgot you paid for, and by the time you find the feed, you’ve already missed a scoring play.
Let’s get the immediate answer out of the way for today, Friday, January 16, 2026. If you are looking for the "Cardinals" on your TV guide right now, you aren't looking for the NFL's Arizona squad or the MLB's St. Louis team. The Arizona Cardinals finished their 2025-2026 season on January 4 with a loss to the Rams, ending with a 3-14 record. No playoffs for them this year. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals are still weeks away from their first Spring Training game in Jupiter, Florida.
However, there is a Cardinals game today. The Ball State Cardinals are taking on the Ohio Bobcats in a heated college basketball matchup. You can catch that game streaming live on ESPN+ at 7:00 PM ET.
What Channel Is Cardinals Game On Today? The Modern Maze
If you're a fan of the "Redbirds" from St. Louis or the "Big Red" from Arizona, you’ve likely noticed that the old days of just turning on Channel 4 or 5 are basically dead. It’s all fragmented. For the St. Louis Cardinals, the big news for the 2026 season is the transition of their local broadcasts. After the whole Diamond Sports Group/Bally Sports saga, the games are now largely found on FanDuel Sports Network Midwest.
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But wait, there’s a catch.
If you live in St. Louis, you can now bypass cable entirely. New for the 2026 cycle, fans within the team's "home territory" can subscribe directly to the FanDuel Sports Network app or even add it as a "channel" inside Amazon Prime Video. It costs about $20 a month, which is steep for one team, but it’s the price of freedom from the cable company.
Watching the St. Louis Cardinals in 2026
Since we are currently in the mid-January lull, you’re likely prepping for the upcoming season. The St. Louis Cardinals open their 2026 Spring Training schedule on February 21 against the Washington Nationals. Most of these Grapefruit League games will air on FanDuel Sports Network, though a handful usually end up as "webcasts" on the MLB website.
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When the regular season kicks off on March 26 against the Tampa Bay Rays, the TV situation gets even more scattered:
- Local Games: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest.
- National Sunday Nights: ESPN (and occasionally the KayRod cast on ESPN2).
- Friday Nights: Apple TV+ (You still need a separate subscription for these "Friday Night Baseball" exclusives).
- The Random Peacock Game: NBC has been pushing more games to Peacock, especially those early Sunday "Leadoff" windows.
What About the Arizona Cardinals?
If you were hoping to see Kyler Murray and the gang in a playoff game today, I’ve got bad news. The Arizona Cardinals are officially in "evaluation mode." They missed the 2026 postseason after a rough 3-14 campaign. For them, the answer to what channel is Cardinals game on today is "none"—unless you count the NFL Network re-airing draft prospect highlights.
Normally, though, watching the Arizona Cardinals involves a mix of:
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- FOX and CBS: The bread and butter for Sunday afternoon games.
- Prime Video: For those Thursday Night Football matchups that always seem to be weirdly low-scoring.
- NBC: Sunday Night Football, the gold standard of production.
- ESPN/ABC: Monday Night Football.
If you’re out of market, the only real way to see every snap is NFL Sunday Ticket, which moved to YouTube TV a couple of years back. It’s expensive, but it beats going to a loud sports bar just to see your team lose in the fourth quarter.
Why Finding the Game Is So Hard Now
The reality is that sports rights are being sliced thinner than deli meat. Leagues realized they could make more money by selling "exclusive" windows to streamers like Apple, Amazon, and Netflix rather than just giving everything to one network. This is why you’ll search for what channel is Cardinals game on today and see four different answers depending on the week.
There’s also the "Blackout" problem. Major League Baseball still uses those archaic blackout maps. Even if you buy MLB.tv, you can't watch the St. Louis Cardinals if you live in their broadcast region. They want you to buy the local cable package or the FanDuel standalone app. It’s a protectionist racket, but for now, we’re stuck with it.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
To make sure you never miss a game once the 2026 season starts in earnest, here is how you should set up your "watch station":
- Download the Team Apps: Both the MLB and NFL apps allow you to "favorite" the Cardinals. They will send a push notification exactly 15 minutes before kickoff or first pitch telling you exactly which channel has the broadcast.
- Check the "Live" Tab on YouTube TV or Hulu: If you use a digital cable replacement, their search bars are actually quite good. Just type "Cardinals" into the search icon on your remote.
- Consolidate Your Subs: If you're tired of 50 logins, try to run as many through Amazon Prime as possible. You can add the MLB.tv and FanDuel channels directly to your Prime account so you only have one bill to yell at.
- College Hoops: If you really want to watch the Ball State Cardinals tonight, head over to ESPN+. It’s a standalone subscription, but it’s often bundled with Disney+ and Hulu if you’re looking to save a few bucks.
The 2026 sports landscape is messy, but the games are there if you're willing to click through a few menus. Mark your calendars for February 21 for the return of St. Louis baseball, and keep an eye on the NFL Draft in April to see how Arizona plans to fix that 3-14 record.