Twins extend their multiyear contract with WCCO Radio

Team President Dave St. Peter says he expects the team will finalize a TV contract in the next few weeks.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 7, 2024 at 2:00PM
Fans took a photo of TC Bear during TwinsFest in 2020 as Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, center, was interviewed by WCCO Radio's Dan Gladden and Chad Hartman. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Twins might not know where fans will watch their games next season, but they finalized how fans can listen.

In re-upping a multiyear radio contract with WCCO, the Twins announced they extended their partnership with the Audacy-owned company Monday. WCCO was the club’s original radio partner from 1961 to 2006, and they’ve been reunited since 2018.

“We think we landed in the right place, and we can’t wait to get started building excitement for what we think will be a big bounce back in 2025,” Twins CEO Dave St. Peter said Monday on the WCCO Morning News without disclosing the length of the contract.

“There are so many things that are entrenched in the history of both WCCO celebrating a 100th anniversary and, of course, the Twins have been a big part of that, along with other local sports properties. This was an important one for us to get across the finish line.”

The Twins’ radio deal with WCCO expired at the end of the 2024 season, and they explored options with multiple companies. The Timberwolves and Lynx ended their partnership with WCCO last year, teaming with KFAN. The iHeartRadio-owned KFAN already had deals with the Vikings, Wild, Gophers football and Gophers basketball, making some Wolves and Lynx broadcasts available only through apps.

Twins games will be simulcast on KNNB-FM (102.9 The Wolf) and live streaming is available through the Audacy app in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa.

Kris Atteberry became the lead radio play-by-play broadcaster during the 2024 season with Dan Gladden as the primary analyst. Paul Molitor and Glen Perkins served as fill-in radio analysts.

The Twins’ one-year contract with Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports North, expired at the end of the season. St. Peter said a resolution for the Twins’ TV contract could come within the next few weeks.

“We’re working very diligently on trying to finalize what that looks like for 2025 and beyond. I’m excited about the prospects of that,” he said. “I certainly believe there will be widespread access for Twins baseball on both radio and television, both through what I would call a traditional cable/satellite distribution model, but maybe more importantly in the environment we’re in, a direct-to-consumer or streaming option. More on that to come.

“I would guess it’ll come fairly soon, perhaps as soon as the next couple of weeks. I think that will be a good news story for Twins fans across the region.”

St. Peter, who completed his 35th season in the Twins’ organization, was asked during his WCCO announcement about his own future.

”I love working for the Minnesota Twins and that’s certainly my focus going forward,” he said. “I appreciate the spirit of the question, but again, I love doing what I’m doing.”

about the writer

about the writer

Bobby Nightengale

Minnesota Twins reporter

Bobby Nightengale joined the Star Tribune in May, 2023, after covering the Reds for the Cincinnati Enquirer for five years. He's a graduate of Bradley University.

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