Another regional sports network is ceasing to exist, reflecting the still-turbulent market for this part of the media business.
Root Sports Northwest, the local television home of MLB’s Mariners, will wind down operations this fall, ending a 37-year run on the air under several different names and ownership structures. Beginning next year, the Mariners will fold fully into MLB’s in-house media model, one that also involves the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Padres, Rockies, and Twins—and potentially more to come.
The Mariners have majority-owned the network since 2013, and fully owned it since 2023—part of a broader exit by Warner Bros. Discovery from the RSN business that also included network sales or closures in Denver, Pittsburgh, and Houston.
The move in Seattle has long been expected, particularly as Root Sports Northwest saw its options for additional programming continue to winnow. The NBA’s Trail Blazers left last year for a mix of local, over-the-air television broadcasting and streaming. A prior contract with the NHL’s Kraken also wasn’t renewed as that team, too, embraced a new model for regional media distribution.
Meanwhile, many major cable and satellite TV distributors have increasingly sought to put RSNs on more expensive tiers, a situation at the heart of an ongoing dispute between Comcast and the Yankees-led YES Network. Between that emerging trend and another accelerating one around cord-cutting by consumers, Root Sports Northwest’s subscriber base plummeted from 3.3 million in 2014 to 1.2 million last year.
As all that has happened, MLB had already been involved in a partial production role this past season with Root Sports Northwest. In the short term, the Mariners will almost certainly see a revenue hit from their local broadcasting.
“We continue to focus on finding new ways to bring our games in 2026 and beyond to our fans and we’ve determined joining with Major League Baseball is the best path,” the Mariners said in a statement.
Seattle, which won its first division title since 2001 and is part of a new-look playoff field, will have its playoff games aired on national networks, starting with the American League Division Series that will be on Fox outlets.
The team’s final live broadcast, a 6–1 loss to the Dodgers to close the regular season, was an emotional one with several on-air broadcasters for Root publicly bidding farewell to one another and Mariners fans. Talent and production roles in the new structure have not yet been finalized, but it’s likely several of the key on-air voices for the Mariners will be retained. Play-by-play announcer Aaron Goldsmith, in particular, is employed by the Mariners. Meanwhile, Root Sports Northwest reporter Jen Mueller said she will depart Mariners broadcasts. She had been there for 19 years.
“It’s hard to boil four decades into just one day today. I’m lucky to work with so many good people,” said Root Sports Northwest anchor Angie Mentink during the final broadcast.
