Cincinnati Reds Partner with Gray Media and WXIX FOX19 to Bring Fans Free Over-the-Air Reds Games
Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a two-year deal to simulcast 10 regular-season games per season on free over-the-air TV, beginning with Reds Opening Day on March 26.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a two-year deal to simulcast 10 regular-season games per season on free over-the-air TV, beginning with Reds Opening Day on March 26. Games will air on Gray-owned stations, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, and across Reds Country in seven states, reaching 17 communities.
The schedule includes Opening Day and nine “Red Hot Mondays,” with all times listed in EST. Coverage will feature WXIX FOX19 reporting and regional sports staff.
Positive
- Two-year agreement for OTA simulcasts of Reds games
- 10 regular-season games per season, including Opening Day
- Distribution across seven states and 17 communities
- Gray reaches ~37% of US television households (company-stated)
Negative
- Limited scale: only 10 games per season may constrain impact
- Regional reach: simulcasts limited to Gray-owned stations and affiliates
Details
News Market Reaction – GTN
On Mar 9, the day this news came out, GTN closed 3.90% below the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 9 session.
Key Figures
- Regular-season simulcasts
- 10 games per season
- Number of Reds games Gray will simulcast each season
- Agreement term
- 2-year agreement
- Length of partnership between Cincinnati Reds and Gray Media
- Reds Country states
- 7 states
- Coverage footprint for the simulcast package
- Communities reached
- 17 communities
- Number of communities receiving additional OTA access to Reds games
- TV markets served
- 114 markets
- Gray’s full-power television markets across the U.S.
- Household reach
- 37% of U.S. TV households
- Share of U.S. TV households reached by Gray stations
- Top-rated stations
- 77 markets
- Markets where Gray owns the top-rated local station
- Telemundo affiliates
- 47 markets
- Size of Gray’s Telemundo affiliate group
Previous Partnership Reports
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Multi-year regional TV deal for Portland Fire and Thorns games.
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Expanded Cardinals Home Plate package with hundreds of OTA programming hours.
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Extended 2026 Royals partnership delivering select free games across 8 states.
-
Expanded Grizzlies package of seven free games across multiple Southern markets.
-
Dallas Stars NHL simulcast of 17 games across 15 outer markets.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
over-the-air (ota) television technical
simulcast technical
full-power television markets technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
ATLANTA, March 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cincinnati Reds today announced a new partnership with Gray Media and WXIX FOX19 to simulcast a select number of regular-season Reds games on free, over-the-air (OTA) television.
Under the two-year agreement, Gray Media will simulcast 10 regular-season games per season, including Reds Opening Day on March 26, making the broadcasts available to fans on Gray-owned television stations in Cincinnati, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, and throughout Reds Country in seven states.
The first simulcast will air on Reds Opening Day, Thursday, March 26, followed by nine additional “Red Hot Mondays” games. All game times are EST.
| Thursday, March 26 | Reds vs. Boston Red Sox | 4:10 p.m. |
| Monday, April 20 | Reds at Tampa Bay Rays | 6:40 p.m. |
| Monday, May 4 | Reds at Chicago Cubs | 7:40 p.m. |
| Monday, May 18 | Reds at Philadelphia Phillies | 6:40 p.m. |
| Monday, June 1 | Reds vs. Kansas City Royals | 7:10 p.m. |
| Monday, June 8 | Reds vs. San Diego Padres | 9:40 p.m. |
| Monday, June 15 | Reds vs. New York Mets | 7:10 p.m. |
| Monday, July 20 | Reds at Seattle Mariners | 9:40 p.m. |
| Monday, August 31 | Reds vs. San Diego Padres | 6:40 p.m. |
| Monday, Sept. 14 | Reds vs. L.A. Dodgers | 6:40 p.m. |
“Making Reds baseball available through over-the-air television is a win for our fans,” said Doug Healy, Reds Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. “Our partnership with Gray Media provides fans in 17 communities throughout Reds Country another opportunity to experience the excitement of Reds baseball.”
The games can be seen on Gray Media stations in the following markets:
| Ohio: | Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo |
| Kentucky: | Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville |
| Indiana: | Evansville, Ft. Wayne, South Bend |
| West Virginia: | Charleston-Huntington |
| Tennessee: | Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis |
| North Carolina: | Charlotte |
| South Carolina: | Greenville-Spartanburg |
"Gray's extensive television station footprint provides a great home for Reds baseball, free over-the-air," said Sandy Breland, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Gray Media. "We appreciate our relationship with the Reds, Major League Baseball, and most importantly, the fans."
Fans will be able to see expanded Cincinnati Reds coverage on WXIX Fox19 from their award-winning reporters, including the FOX19 Sports Team of Joe Danneman, Jeremy Rauch, Gabi Sorrentino, and Regan Holgate. Danneman, FOX19’s Sports Director, has won three regional Emmy Awards for his work and was also named the 2024 Ohio Sports Broadcaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
# # #
About Gray Media:
Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 114 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately
Gray Contact:
Sandy Breland | Executive Vice President and COO | 404-266-8333
FAQ
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