Cast adrift: No Erie radio station carrying Pittsburgh Pirates games
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of Major League Baseball's biggest surprises during the first two weeks of the season, but fans in Erie are struggling to catch their games on radio or TV.
No Erie radio station currently carries Pirates games, with WJET-AM 1400 no longer part of the team's broadcast network.
"We are working diligently to replace WJET with another station," a Pirates spokesman said in an email. "In the meantime, all fans should reach out to WJET to voice their concern about the station not carrying Pirates games."
A representative with iHeart Radio, which owns and operates WJET-AM, did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
It's not the first time WJET and the Pirates have had issues. The station was not broadcasting the teams' games as expected at the start of the 2021 season until the Erie Times-News reach out to the Pirates for an explanation.
Within hours, a Pirates spokesman said the station would start carrying the games — which they did for the rest of the season.
From 2021: David Bruce: Finding the Pirates on Erie radio, TV
The difference this season is that WJET is no longer a Pirates affiliate, though it remains listed on the team's website.
Pirates' fans who want to listen to games on broadcast radio must search for an out-of-town station — the best bets are Pittsburgh's KDKA-AM 1020, Meadville's WMGW-AM 1490 or Titusville's WTIV-AM 1230.
Pirates available on TV, but at a steep price
Watching the Pirates on TV is a different problem. There are several different ways to catch the games but none of them are inexpensive.
Pirates games are not available as a stand-alone streaming package, unlike some other MLB teams. You must buy a full plan from a cable/satellite provider such as Spectrum or DirecTV, or a streamer such as Fubo or DirecTV streaming, that includes SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Local TV: On-air employees at Erie's WJET-TV/WFXP-TV vote overwhelmingly to join a union
Costs range from about $70 to $140 a month, depending on the provider and the type of plan you purchase.
An MLB.TV subscription would be a more affordable option, at $150 for the season, but all Pirates and Cleveland Guardians live games are blacked out in Erie.
Fans are hoping the Pirates will sell a stand-alone streaming package for the 2025 season. Teams that sell those are charging $19.99-$29.99 a month.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: WJET-AM no longer carrying Pittsburgh Pirates games in Erie PA
