Sunday afternoon’s game between the Blue Jays and Twins features one of the best pitching matchups of the early season, with Trey Yesavage taking the bump against Joe Ryan. Both the Blue Jays and Twins could use a win, with the former floating around .500 in a crowded AL East, and the latter four games back of the Guardians in a lackluster AL Central.

However, watching the game won’t come easy for fanbases in either market. The matchup will be exclusively broadcast on Peacock in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Twins

• Subscribe and stream Peacock
• Watch on NBC Sports Network nationally
• Watch on Sportsnet or SN1 in Canada

The good news for fans in the Canadian market is that this shouldn’t change their viewing experience, as they’ll have access to the game via Sportsnet. However, not all Blue Jays fans are in Canada, nor do they have access to cable. Unlike typical regular-season games, NBC paid for the right to exclusively broadcast this game in the United States. The fact that it’s such an exciting pitching matchup should increase their subscriber numbers, no doubt, but it comes at a cost to your everyday Blue Jays or Twins fan.

For those interested, subscribing to Peacock isn’t all that difficult. All you have to do is go to Peacocktv.com and pick a package. But considering this isn’t a postseason game, the matchup itself won’t be available on basic cable.

Why MLB tuned out its fanbase with Peacock streaming rights

I don’t mean to single out Peacock in this article. The same can be said of Netflix or any number of streaming partners MLB has this season. Given the seemingly-constant RSN issues and ESPN’s lackluster offer to continue broadcasting games, Rob Manfred was left with little choice but to mix and match.

Netflix, Peacock and any number of streaming partners are in the business of live sports. That leads to more subscribers and greater viewership numbers and, thus, advertising revenue. MLB signed a three-year, 18-game Sunday leadoff package with Peacock prior to the season. This isn’t going anywhere, as Peacock and NBC paid a pretty penny to broadcast MLB games.

All in all, it’s a good thing for the league, even if it may sacrifice them some fans in the short term. MLB was looking at financial losses via its TV deals heading into what could be an extended lockout. Abandoning some fans along the way was a small price to pay.

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