Spring Training is just days away, and many Major League Baseball fans are looking forward to the 2026 season already. For those who follow the St. Louis Cardinals, they’ll be pleased to know that “Home Plate” is getting much easier to access via free over-the-air broadcast television.
“Home Plate” is a new collection of Cardinals games and shoulder programming linked to Gray Media’s CBS affiliated KMOV-4 in St. Louis and Matrix Midwest, the entertainment sports programming offering based at KDTL-LD 32 in St. Louis.
This will see eight St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training games simulcast live on Matrix Midwest, as 10 regular-season games will be simulcast on KMOV, Matrix Midwest and on Gray Media-owned or third-party partner stations in markets across the Cardinals’ territory.
It marks an expanded Home Plate programming schedule, starting February 23, and will also see no less than 12 Memphis Redbirds (the Cardinals’ AAA affiliate) games airing live on Matrix Midwest; and at least ten Springfield Cardinals (the Cardinals’ AA affiliate) games airing live on Matrix Midwest.
Furthermore, next-day one-hour, edited and condensed replays of the prior day’s game airing at noon and 5 p.m. on Matrix Midwest for most Cardinals games.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals and bring fans even closer to the team they love at every level,” said JD Sosnoff, General Manager of KMOV-TV and Matrix Midwest. “From watching future stars develop in Springfield and Memphis to experiencing Cardinals baseball at Busch Stadium, Home Plate gives our viewers unprecedented access to the entire organization. We’re grateful for the Cardinals’ trust in Matrix Midwest to deliver the exclusive content that connects fans with this storied franchise.”
The over-the-air broadcasts of 10 regular-season Cardinals games are slated for Friday nights.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Gray Media and expand Cardinals baseball coverage across the St. Louis television market. The feedback we heard from our fans after showing Cardinals games on KMOV, Matrix Midwest, and regional Gray-TV affiliate stations last season was overwhelmingly positive,” said Anuk Karunaratne, Cardinals Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “Their free, over-the-air platform makes it easy for fans across Cardinals Nation to access the comprehensive Cardinals content they’ve been asking for. This is a unique opportunity for our fans to conveniently follow the team all season long.”
