Being a Mets fan entails hope, heartbreak, and sometimes just enduring a season. One of the highlights is knowing that Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling will be there to guide us through it all. It’s easy to see why the Mets, coming off a strong season and adding Juan Soto, would be on national TV the second-most of any team in the majors in 2025. However, the reasoning behind 10 percent of those nationally televised games being crammed into the season’s first week is less clear.
The challenge isn’t about accessibility; MLB and its media partners aim to attract as many viewers as possible. The real issue is for Mets fans who have eagerly awaited September to hear Gary, Keith, and Ron, only to have that reunion cut short almost immediately. Two of the Mets’ first three games won’t be on SNY, which disrupts the experience for Mets fans. While SNY will cover the season opener, fans won’t hear their familiar voices again until Monday in Miami, as Friday’s Mets-Astros game will be on Apple TV+, and Fox will take over on Saturday.
Apple TV+ has announced details for the Mets’ second game of the season on Friday, which is exclusive to that streaming service.
My great, great friend @WayneRandazzo will be on the call from Houston alongside @DTrainMLB and @HeidiWatney.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 24, 2025
This Saturday, Baseball Night in America is BACK ⚾️🇺🇸
▫️@Mets vs @Astros
▫️@Braves vs @Padres📺 March 29, 7pm ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/GdZIjNs3UJ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 24, 2025
This situation transcends mere national broadcasts; it impacts what Mets fans are losing. Baseball relies fundamentally on routine, and the bond between teams and their local broadcasters is paramount. Mets fans don’t just like SNY — they cherish it. Other fanbases may not create T-shirts and signs about their announcers, but Mets fans certainly do.
There’s a unique chemistry, authenticity, and storytelling in the GKR trio that national broadcasts simply cannot replicate. Cohen excels at integrating franchise history, player insights, and the occasional honest critique that fans appreciate. Hernandez’s mid-game tangents and blunt analysis make him a distinctively captivating voice in baseball, while Ron Darling’s pitching breakdowns offer fans insights not found elsewhere. Mets fans aren’t just fans; they’re dedicated viewers.
SNY ranks among the top-rated RSNs in baseball, and this is not solely attributed to the team’s performance. Watching games on SNY feels like home. Unfortunately, this vital experience is being compromised right from the start of the season.
This issue extends beyond Opening Weekend; it’s indicative of a broader trend. Last September, during a critical series against the Phillies, three of four games occurred without SNY.’s voiceovers, leaving fans without their trusted announcers during crucial moments. Now, in 2025, a similar situation appears just as the season begins.
Adding to the frustration is MLB’s outdated blackout policies. Even with MLB.tv, Mets fans in New York and nearby areas can’t stream their games live. Cord-cutters without a traditional cable package that includes SNY find themselves at a disadvantage. While SNY has launched a direct-to-consumer option, it only covers games actually airing on SNY. When games are on Apple TV+ or Fox, that option vanishes. Fans in overlapping blackout zones, such as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, often face restrictions from multiple teams, leaving them with littlerecourse. Some regions may have blackout prohibitions for up to six teams simultaneously, rendering an MLB.tv subscription nearly useless.
In theory, MLB.tv is a one-stop solution for cord-cutters and fans outside their market, but the reality is that a complicated set of territorial constraints makes watching a local team feel like an uphill battle. So yes, while the Mets will be one of the season’s most visible teams, for their most dedicated fans, that visibility will be undermined when they can’t watch the games as they wish.
This scheduling blunder is compounded by MLB’s prior misstep, refusing to designate Tuesday or Wednesday as Opening Day. Mets fans shouldn’t have to wait four days into the season to enjoy a full lineup of games featuring their beloved broadcast team. National slots should be spaced out, not crammed into the opening matchups.
By the time SNY returns on Monday, the opening weekend—a truly exciting time of year—will have passed without them. Mets fans yearn to watch their team and hear Gary, Keith, and Ron. Instead, they’re left with only a fraction of that experience. In a sport seeking to enhance fan engagement, this decision is precisely the kind that complicates matters.
