ESPN and Major League Baseball finalize a new three-year media rights agreement that shifts major events, expands streaming access, and reshapes where fans will watch key games across NBC, Netflix, and the ESPN App.
Major League Baseball is entering a new broadcast era after announcing a revamped three-year media rights agreement that reshapes where fans will watch some of the sport’s biggest moments. The deal, unveiled Wednesday, includes a reworked partnership between ESPN and MLB, as well as newly secured packages with NBC and Netflix. Collectively, the three agreements will average nearly $800 million per year.
Under the updated structure, out-of-market streaming rights are heading to ESPN, while NBC/Peacock becomes the new home of “Sunday Night Baseball” and the wild-card round. Netflix lands the Home Run Derby along with two additional games, expanding its push into major live sports.
ESPN, which has broadcast MLB since 1990, will pay $550 million annually. NBC’s deal is valued at $200 million per year, while Netflix’s package is worth $50 million. In total, the league has shuffled some of its most-watched programming while maximizing rights fees for marquee events like the Home Run Derby and the wild-card series.
Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the significance of maintaining a strong relationship with ESPN, even as some of the network’s package shifts to other platforms. “They’ve been kind of the bedrock of our broadcast program for a long time,” he said.
ESPN will now also take over MLB.TV, which will be integrated directly into the ESPN App. The network gains in-market streaming rights for six MLB-produced teams: the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, and Seattle Mariners. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the new partnership “fan-friendly,” noting the value of having MLB.TV and national games housed together on the app.
While ESPN loses the Home Run Derby and postseason games, it will still carry 30 regular-season matchups, primarily on weeknights and during the summer. Manfred noted that returning to a midweek schedule aligns with ESPN’s long-term streaming strategy.
NBC is making a major return to baseball after decades away from consistent national coverage. The network’s history with the sport dates back to 1939, though its last major run ended in 2000. NBC’s first regular-season game under the new agreement will air March 26, when the defending two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Beginning in April, NBC and the new NBC Sports Network will carry 25 Sunday night games, with all broadcasts also streaming live on Peacock. The first “Sunday Night Baseball” game on NBC debuts April 12, with another set to air in May after the NBA playoffs begin. NBC will feature year-round Sunday night sports programming, pairing MLB with its existing NFL slate and a new NBA package launching in February. A Labor Day prime-time game is also included.
Peacock regains Sunday early-afternoon games, previously part of its lineup in 2022 and 2023. Those broadcasts will lead into a studio whip-around show ahead of the night game. Additionally, NBC/Peacock will air the Major League Futures Game on the day before the Home Run Derby and will handle coverage of the first round of the amateur draft during All-Star weekend.
Netflix, continuing its strategy of securing tentpole live sports events, adds several MLB highlights to its growing roster. Along with streaming the Home Run Derby, the platform will air the first game of the season on March 25—pitting three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants. Netflix will also broadcast MLB at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on August 13, when Minnesota faces Philadelphia, and the streamer will carry one special-event MLB game per year.
Negotiations were complicated by existing relationships with Fox and Turner Sports, which currently pay $729 million and $470 million per year, respectively, under contracts running through 2028. MLB also remains partnered with Apple TV, which has streamed “Friday Night Baseball” since 2022.
Looking ahead, Manfred views the agreements as positioning the league for broader changes in how games are distributed, noting his goal of shifting more rights to national partners rather than relying heavily on regional sports networks.
With this sweeping new rights framework, MLB is redefining how fans experience the game across broadcast, cable, and streaming—and setting the stage for even larger negotiations to come.
