Just Days Ago: MLB Played at an Actual Movie Set
This is about as fresh as local color gets: on August 13, 2026, the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies played a real MLB regular-season game at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa — the same cornfield-adjacent ballpark built for the 1989 film "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner. It marked the third such game at the site since 2021, and this year's edition streamed exclusively on Netflix rather than the broadcast networks that carried previous installments — a genuinely notable sign of where live sports broadcasting is heading. A Triple-A game between the Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints at the same field two days earlier aired on MLB Network.
| Capital | Des Moines |
| Approx. Population | 3.24 million |
| Time Zone | Central |
| Major Cities | Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City |
Iowa's Genuine Hollywood Footprint
"Field of Dreams" — nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 2017 — was filmed in Dyersville and Dubuque, and its "If you build it, he will come" line ranks 39th on the American Film Institute's all-time top movie quotes. It's had lasting impact: Universal Television is developing a limited series adaptation, also set to film in Iowa.
| Field of Dreams (1989) | Filmed in Dyersville & Dubuque — streaming availability varies, check your service directly |
| Twister (1996) | Iowa's top-grossing film location, shot in Ames, Boone, and Eldora — widely available to rent or purchase |
| The Bridges of Madison County (1995) | Filmed around Winterset — widely available to rent or purchase |
Iowa's TV Markets
| Des Moines–Ames | Rank #67 nationally · ~480,550 TV households · spans 35 counties |
| Cedar Rapids–Waterloo–Iowa City–Dubuque | Rank #94 · ~364,130 TV households · spans 21 counties |
| Sioux City, Quad Cities | Smaller markets serving western and eastern Iowa respectively |
Some western Iowa counties fall under the Omaha, Nebraska market instead, and a few northern counties are served by the Rochester-Mason City-Austin market shared with Minnesota — another example of state lines not lining up neatly with broadcast boundaries.
Streaming Services in Iowa
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and Sling TV all serve Iowa's markets normally, delivering local affiliates by registered address along with optional movie add-ons (Max, Starz, Showtime). Given the Field of Dreams game's move to Netflix this year, it's a good reminder to check which specific streaming service carries any particular live sports event before assuming your existing subscription includes it.
Local Sports Without a Major League Team
Iowa doesn't host a major NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL franchise of its own — Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones college athletics fill that role, with a rivalry ("Cy-Hawk") that dominates the state's sports calendar most falls. Minor league baseball, particularly the Iowa Cubs, also draws a genuinely dedicated following, amplified this year by the Field of Dreams spotlight.
Setting Up Your Device
Device setup works the same everywhere — our device comparison guide breaks down Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Google TV. Budget 15–25 Mbps per stream for HD, 25–50 Mbps for 4K. Iowa's flat terrain generally supports solid antenna reception across most of the state — see our antenna & OTA guide for the basics.
| Can I still watch a Field of Dreams game if I don't have Netflix? | The 2026 edition streamed Netflix-exclusively — check MLB's official channels for how future years will be broadcast. |
| Is the actual Field of Dreams site open to visit? | Yes — it operates as a public tourist attraction in Dyersville, though it can close for private events, so check availability ahead of a visit. |
| Why do some Iowans get Nebraska or Minnesota TV stations? | Western and northern border counties are officially assigned to the Omaha or Rochester-Mason City-Austin markets instead of an Iowa-based one. |