MLB might try to sell domestic and international rights together
MLB might try to sell domestic and international rights together
When MLB’s international and domestic TV rights come up for sale in 2028, it might seek a streaming partner that can offer them to a global audience.
Major League Baseball is attempting to launch itself into the future. The league has long been working toward a streaming solution to the annoying issue of local blackouts, and now it’s beginning to think of streaming as a way to distribute games more efficiently around the world as well. According to a report from The Athletic, MLB is exploring the possibility of packaging its domestic and international rights together in its next deal in hopes of attracting a large streaming service instead of the traditional linear outlets.
Key Details:
- MLB’s international and domestic TV rights will go up for sale in 2028.
- The league could be the first to allow one streamer to distribute games globally.
- Prime Video, DAZN, and ESPN are all good candidates for this set-up.
According to The Athletic, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is considering the possibility of bundling MLB’s domestic and international rights together with the hope of enticing a streaming service with broad global reach. MLB’s international rights come up for sale again in 2028, the same time that its domestic TV deals with outlets Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery end.
MLB’s popularity is rising worldwide, and Manfred sees this as an opportunity to change the league’s approach to distributing its rights both at home and abroad.
“The explosion in popularity in Korea and Japan is going to create an opportunity to fundamentally change the way we sell our media rights,” Manfred said. “We’ve traditionally sold them in (individual) countries, and I think in 2028 they will be sold as part of an international package that will help us drive our media revenue in general.”
If MLB does sell its rights to a single outlet for all domestic and international distribution, it would be the first major sports league to do so. As tempting as that might be, it probably won’t happen that way; MLB has so much game inventory that selling all of its national and international rights to one streaming service is impractical.
However, there is plenty of precedence for a streaming service to offer packages from a given league in the United States and elsewhere. Before Prime Video became an NBA partner in the U.S., it helped to distribute games in Brazil. That streamer could be one to keep an eye on if MLB wants a global distribution partner for at least a package of its domestic and international rights in 2028.
DAZN is another streamer that would make sense in this regard, thanks to its presence in so many countries around the world and its reputation as a big-name distributor. DAZN carries NFL and NBA games in certain territories, European soccer, and more, and is available in the United States as well.
ESPN’s new streaming service could also be a good fit for MLB once it launches, but the two have a bit of work to do regarding their relationship. ESPN and MLB mutually agreed to part ways following the 2025 season, though reporting around their split suggests their relationship isn’t damaged beyond repair. ESPN is launching a new streamer codenamed Flagship that will carry its linear content and much more before the start of the 2025 football season.
At the very least, MLB is considering forward-thinking solutions to try and grow its audience, both in the U.S. and around the world. The league is the next major sports organization to see its rights hit the open market, and it will bear watching to see what kind of interest those rights draw from streamers with an international presence.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.