The Texas Rangers cut ties with Victory+ Wednesday. BZZR now streams every game, effective immediately. 105.3 The Fan afternoon host Gavin Dawson called the shift in the middle of the season “bizarre” and another example of the struggles MLB is having with local distribution.
What We Know: Rangers Sports Network named BZZR its new direct-to-consumer streaming partner for televised games. The switch replaces Victory+, which handled duties since Rangers Sports Network launched in January 2025. Fans can transfer subscriptions free if they paid for Victory+. 105;3 The Fan host Gavin Dawson broke down the move Wednesday on GBAG Nation.
What They Said: (All quotes via GBAG Nation on 105.3 The Fan, Dallas)
105.3 The Fan Gavin Dawson on the Texas Rangers moving television broadcasts to BZZR: “It’s bizarre. Maybe it’s a little bit annoying if you’re going to have to go sign up for something else. The business of baseball is great. It’s just the business of cable television really got complicated when all this on-demand streaming services started taking up all their viewers.”
105.3 The Fan Gavin Dawson on the Texas Rangers moving television broadcasts to BZZR: “Just like Diamond Sports Group before this. If you bid big, thinking we’re going to be drawing in such huge revenue streams that we can pay all these bills and make profit. Then you can’t pay the bills. I think we’re finding out just that you can sort of breach these agreements if they’re not viable business operations. You can’t just be expected to sit there and hemorrhage money.”
What Remains Unclear: Financial terms of the BZZR agreement is unknown. Dawson himself framed the move as market correction rather than crisis. Radio broadcasts, meanwhile, stay unaffected on 105.3 The Fan.
What It Means: Dawson called it plainly: “I think this is just the market resettling.” Streaming rivals have squeezed traditional cable’s viewership for years, and regional sports networks continue to absorb the fallout. Consequently, teams now prioritize financially viable partners over legacy relationships.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.