MLB’s new broadcast deal could be announced very soon
MLB’s new broadcast deal could be announced very soon
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on Sunday that the deal could be ironed out in the coming weeks.
Major League Baseball is drawing plenty of interest for its outstanding broadcast rights. The league saw its existing deal with ESPN for “Sunday Night Baseball” games, the Home Run Derby, and a package of playoff games evaporate in February, when both sides opted out of the agreement. After months of shopping the rights and talking to prospective partners, a new report indicates MLB is closing in on its decision at long last.
Key Details:
- Sunday night showdown: NBC/Peacock and Apple TV+ are considered the frontrunners for “Sunday Night Baseball.”
- Still in the mix: ESPN could be in line for a package of weekday games, or even MLB.TV.
- Home run for Netflix: Netflix appears to be in front for the Home Run Derby rights.
As the spring and summer months have progressed, it’s looked more and more like MLB would split up the rights package formerly held by ESPN, and distribute its parts across several different streamers and channels. Now, that possibility seems to have transformed into all but a certainty.
According to The Athletic, the “Sunday Night Baseball” games in the former ESPN package are most likely to end up on either Apple TV+, or on NBC and its companion streaming service Peacock. Apple’s streamer already hosts the “Friday Night Baseball” package, while Peacock previously held the rights to stream the “MLB Sunday Leadoff” lineup of games.
ESPN also looks to be back in the mix, and could secure a selection of weekday games and a “bigger daily digital presence,” according to The Athletic. That might include an acquisition of MLB’s out-of-market games platform MLB.TV; ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has made no secret of his desire to add more local sports rights, especially now that ESPN’s new streaming service is launching.
Netflix also looks to be part of the equation. Lining up with previous reporting, Netflix appears to be most interested in the Home Run Derby, and could also add World Baseball Classic Rights in Japan. Both of those events may fit into Netflix’s desire to acquire sports rights it can make into marquee programming destinations.
Manfred said during Sunday’s Little League Classic telecast that MLB would resolve the deals in “the next few weeks” — and the fact that he said so during a game being played on ESPN indicates that the league is open to returning to that channel. All deals would expire after the 2028 season, allowing MLB to align all of its national broadcasting negotiations for various rights packages.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.