Major League Baseball television rights are set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. Earlier this year, MLB and ESPN mutually agreed to end their TV rights contract at the end of the 2025 season.
The two sides had the option to extend their agreement for three more years, as part of a deal that was negotiated in 2021, and would have extended through the 2028 season. But instead, MLB finds itself searching for a new broadcast partner.
Since then, ESPN and MLB have revisited talks to see if they can continue their relationship, but other networks and streaming entities have jumped into the negotiations, including Apple, Amazon, Fox and NBC.
Talks between MLB and potential broadcasting partners are ongoing, and Netflix has become a potential option, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic:
Major League Baseball executives are in negotiations that could result in new broadcast packages and relationships with Netflix, ESPN, NBC and Apple, according to officials briefed on the discussions.
NBC/Peacock and Apple TV+ are considered the top contenders for “Sunday Night Baseball” and first-round playoff games, while ESPN could add weekday games and a bigger daily digital presence, the officials said. Netflix has emerged as the potential Home Run Derby destination.
ESPN currently holds MLB rights to weekly “Sunday Night Baseball” games, the Wild Card Series and Home Run Derby.
Even if MLB picks another partner to broadcast primary events, such as Peacock (NBC) or Apple TV+, the league seems to want to keep ESPN involved in some fashion. ESPN is currently the largest sports media and broadcasting company in the United States.
But NBC also previously made an offer to take over ESPN’s TV rights. If they are able to acquire the contract, Peacock would likely begin to stream games beginning with the 2026 season.
MLB games first aired on NBC from 1947-1989 before returning to the network in 1994. More than two decades passed before regular season baseball returned to NBC in 2022 as part of the short-lived “MLB Sunday Leadoff” streams on Peacock.
Roku replaced Peacock last season as the home for MLB Sunday streams. The Roku Channel is widely available to stream for free without a subscription or sign-up required.
Fox Sports has also showed interest in picking up ESPN’s MLB TV rights. Fox already pays roughly $729 million to MLB each year for a TV rights package that includes the regular season, annual All-Star Game, playoffs and the World Series.
MLB looking to split up ESPN TV rights
MLB may try to split up the expiring package among multiple networks and streaming services rather than sell it all to one partner.
While that would be a negative outcome for fans by requiring them to have more networks and services, it would likely bring MLB more money in the long run.
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