KC Royals are making a fan-approved change to game times in 2025 season
The Royals had different start times for their weekday night games last season, but the team announced this week that will be uniform in 2025.
Those Monday to Thursday night games will begin at 6:40 p.m.
A year ago, first pitch for games during the school season also were at 6:40 p.m. During the summer months, those weekday games started at 7:10 p.m. because students were on vacation.
Turns out, Royals supporters loved the 6:40 p.m. starting time.
A Royals spokesman said the team received almost no negative feedback from fans about the earlier starts, and the club’s ticketing department experienced a similar response.
“Fans get home earlier and it makes work and school easier the next day, so it’s a more attractive time to start,” the spokesman said.
The Royals aren’t the only team that has moved up the start of night games, and it seems Major League Baseball franchises are hoping to make games more accessible to younger fans.
All told, there will be 36 weeknight games beginning at 6:40 p.m. in the 2025 seasons, and there are 10 weekday afternoon games. From May 30-Aug. 29, each Royals Friday night home game will begin at 7:10 p.m. The 14 Saturday home games will be broken down like this: Six at 3:10 p.m. and the other eight at 6:10 p.m. The 14 home Sunday games will begin at 1:10 p.m. as usual.
The Royals will open the 2025 season on March 27 at 3:10 p.m. against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. It will be the earliest opening day in the team’s history.
Fans shared plenty of reactions on X about the 6:40 p.m. starting time for weekday games, and most liked the idea.
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 9:58 AM.
