Select number of Rays’ home games to be broadcast on local channels

Select Tampa Bay Rays’ games will be broadcast across a variety of local stations across the state as part of an agreement between the team and Hearst Television.

The televised games will begin with the Rays’ home opener at Tropicana Field on April 6. Overall, 10 home games will be broadcast on WMOR-TV in Tampa, WESH 2 and CW 18 in Orlando, and stations in West Palm Beach and Fort Myers and Naples.

To put that number into perspective, the Rays play 162 games in the regular season. The agreement comes after the Rays ceded local broadcast distribution to Major League Baseball through its new streaming model, Rays.TV, which allows subscribers to view games through their cable provider or online. But the subscription for just Rays games is $100, or $20 a month.

The latest agreement allows fans to view select games even without the streaming subscription.

“Providing Tampa Bay Rays games on free, over-the-air television gives fans a new way to connect with their team,” said John Soapes, President and General Manager of WESH 2, CW18 and WMOR.

“This is certainly great news for those in the Tampa Bay area, but over the years many across the Gulf Coast and Central Florida have embraced the Rays as their own. The connection to this team runs deep across the region, and this expanded access makes it easier for fans everywhere to be a part of it.”

Games that will be available to view on the select stations include:

— Monday, April 6, 4 p.m. vs. Chicago Cubs on CW18, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Friday, April 24, 7 p.m. vs. Minnesota on WESH 2, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Friday, May 8, 7 p.m. at Boston on WESH 2, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Sunday, May 24, 1:30 p.m. at New York Yankees on CW18, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Friday, June 5, 7 p.m. at Miami on WESH 2, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Friday, June 19, 7 p.m. vs. Washington on WESH 2, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Friday, July 17, 7 p.m. at Boston on WESH 2, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Thursday, July 23, 3 p.m. at Toronto on CW18, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Sunday, August 9, 4 p.m. at Seattle on CW18, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

— Wednesday, August 12, 3 p.m. at the Athletics on CW18, WMOR, WPBF and Gulf Coast NBC and ABC.

This will be the first time Hearst Television is including the Fort Myers/Naples media market in a regional sports package in Florida.

The Rays announced changes to its media agreement in early February, after terminating TV rights from FanDuel Sports Network, which is facing financial troubles.

The Rays were not the only MLB team to do so. The Brewers, Cardinals, Marlins, Reds and Royals also moved their broadcasting deals to MLB, joining seven other teams that had already made the transition.

The streaming service model, while frustrating to some, offered a way for the most dedicated fans to ensure they never miss a game, by avoiding blackout dates for games included in exclusive national coverage, including three games at the beginning of the season.