Major League Baseball has entered one of its biggest shifts in its media ecosystems in years, finalizing a three year rights deal with Netflix, NBCUniversal and ESPN that will reshape how fans engage with baseball from 2026 through 2028.
According to Reuters, the deal is currently valued at nearly $800 million per year and gives Netflix its most significant live sports package to date, including Opening Night, the Home Run Derby and several exclusive event games. NBC will reclaim “Sunday Night Baseball” on its broadcast network and Peacock, while ESPN expects to secure a new midweek package and gain exclusive rights to MLB’s digital TV distribution.
The move follows ESPN’s decision to exit its prior long term contract, part of a broader push to scale back rights payments as linear-TV audiences drop. MLB rejected the proposal, but pivoted into a short term deal that incorporates the league’s out-of-market streaming services within the ESPN app.
Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN, said the deal is “fan-friendly” and called MLB.TV “a converted, must-have service…strongly complemented by our national game package and in-market team rights – all within the ESPN App.”
NBCUniversal’s cut of the deal includes Wild Card postseason games and a relaunch of NBCSN as a sports-focused streaming and linear hybrid, according to TheWrap. Meanwhile, Netflix will stream special events like Opening Night, Home Run Derby and a “Field of Dreams” game – marking its first live baseball coverage.
“We are seizing that moment by bringing massive cultural spectacles… from Opening Night to the Home Run Derby… directly to our members,” Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer at Netflix said.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has framed the deal as a chance to grow the league’s audiences, but fan reaction has been mixed. In a press release, Manfred said the agreements “provide us with a great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment, and marquee events.”
But on r/baseball, one of the largest independent online baseball communities on Reddit, users expressed frustration over needing multiple streaming services to follow a full season. “Every year it gets harder to know where to watch,” one fan wrote in a top upvoted comment. Others welcome the Netflix partnership as a sign that MLB is trying to reach more global audiences.
For MLB, the deal signals an aggressive shift toward platform diversification. For fans, it marks yet another step into a fragmented streaming ecosystem – one that may redefine how the next generation engages with the sport.
As final details roll out in 2025, baseball fans may face a new question: not who is playing, but where can they watch?