Netflix circling Home Run Derby rights
Netflix circling Home Run Derby rights
A new report indicates that Netflix is eyeing one of the key events in MLB’s All-Star Weekend, rights that were formerly attached to ESPN.
As good a week as it was last week for Disney, this week is shaping up to be a disaster for its sports network ESPN. The channel could be set to lose another marquee sports property; according to a report from Bloomberg, Netflix is currently discussing a deal with MLB regarding the broadcast rights to the Home Run Derby.
Key Details:
- Derby days: Bloomberg says that Netflix has eyed the Home Run Derby and perhaps other baseball programming.
- Do a split!: ESPN’s former MLB package looks likely to be split between multiple outlets.
- Philosophical fit: The Home Run Derby would fit with Netflix’s sports pursuit ethos.
The report from Bloomberg indicates that the world’s largest streaming service has been in discussions with MLB about the Home Run Derby, but that it could also be interested in additional baseball programming. ESPN is the current rights holder for the annual summer event, but in February exercised its option to pull out of its deal with MLB three years early as a cost-cutting measure. ESPN’s tenure with MLB now expires following the end of the 2025 season.
ESPN’s package of MLB events also includes rights to some playoff games, as well as the “Sunday Night Baseball” lineup of regular-season contests. The company had been paying $550 million per season for that lineup, but MLB is looking to boost those numbers in a marketplace where top sports leagues are seeing big increases in rights fees.
It’s now appearing that ESPN’s package could be split among multiple new partners. At the end of July, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that Apple and NBC had shown interest, and that ESPN had reached back out to discuss re-acquiring at least some of the rights. More recent reporting indicates that ESPN is in pursuit of local broadcast rights for some MLB teams.
The Home Run Derby would seem to fit perfectly with Netflix’s philosophy regarding live sports. The streamer typically only pursues sporting events that it can turn into major viewing events, which is why a big, one-off broadcast like the Derby would be far more appealing compared to a package of regularly scheduled games that will cost more and feel less special.
Netflix has already secured a package of NFL games on Christmas Day, as well as weekly streams of WWE’s “Raw.” The service has also begun airing premier boxing matches and has locked up the U.S. broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in both 2027 and 2031. Will MLB be the next major sports organization to join the party?
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”