The Mariners have embraced the trident and Seize The Moment. The club will reap benefits financially from just the second trip to the postseason since 2001. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Whether they do or don’t advance out of the American League Division Series, moves made at the trade deadline, and winning the AL West for the first time since 2001 will propel the Seattle Mariners’ business in 2026.
As Game 2 of the ALDS unfolded in Seattle, the city and club found themselves in a place they haven’t been in some time: postseason baseball was being played at T-Mobile Park at the same time the Seattle Seahawks were hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On a picture-perfect day, fans streaming into the ballpark listened to the sound of regular-season football collide with postseason baseball.
For the Mariners, it had to be music to their ears. With just their second postseason appearance since 2001, they have become relevant beyond the regular season.
Ranked 13th in value by Forbes heading into the 2025 season, the club saw revenues of $379 million with an operating income of $43 million. That will assuredly increase when the valuations are released ahead of the 2027 season.
For 2025, the club saw paid attendance of 2,537,817, compared to last year’s total of 2,555,813, a decrease of just under 1% (-0.7%) from 2024. Even with AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, and a stacked roster for 2025, this is to be expected, as attendance typically lags behind the previous season. For the regular season, there were a total of four sellouts, and all postseason games are sold out (Game 1 saw paid attendance of 47,290 while Game 2 saw 47,371).
The Mariners will benefit from hosting postseason games, but according to the collective bargaining agreement, ticket sales may not be as substantial as fans think. Based on the current labor agreement, 60% of the total gate receipts from the first three games are allocated to the players. That means for the Mariners to get 100% of the gate receipts, the ALDS would need to go to Game 5.
While the Mariners declined to discuss how the business of the club is doing, preferring to wait until after the postseason to allow focus on the games and have a better feel for where things are headed in 2026, there’s little doubting that the club will see a financial slingshot into the 2026 season with season ticket renewals, new sales, and sponsorships.
What remains to be fully understood is how the Mariners shuttering of ROOT Sports Northwest will impact the bottom line. The club worked in a hybrid state this season, with MLB producing games. In 2026, the Mariners will join the Padres, Diamondbacks, Twins, Guardians, and Rockies as clubs produced and managed by MLB, including new carriage deals. In all cases thus far, this has resulted in linear TV deals that match or improve on what was previously available, and remove blackouts for a club’s entire broadcast territory, something that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has sought for all 30 clubs. While the Mariners are unable to announce what’s in store for 2026, like the other clubs that have moved under MLB’s umbrella, most of the on-air personalities and many of the camera operators have remained under contract. The Mariners will have a say in who may return, but at least one on-the-field personality will not be back. Jen Mueller will be moving on to other projects.
As for sponsorships, the Mariners see several prominent local and regional brands associated with them. Nintendo has served as a longtime sponsor, tied to club ownership from 1992 to 2016, and now serves as the club’s jersey patch sponsor. Other sponsors include Boeing, Microsoft, Key Bank, and T-Mobile, which has the naming rights to the ballpark, among others. Opportunities in 2026 are expected to increase, given the positive season.
While the total outlook for the Mariners won’t be fully known until the 2026 season is underway, it’s clear that they’ll be in a favorable position, no matter what.