Major League Baseball Strikes New 3-Year Rights Deals With NBCU, Disney, Netflix

The media world will take a new swing at showing games from Major League Baseball.

The league has struck new — and widely-expected — agreements with NBCUniversal, Netflix and Disney’s ESPN that will put the national pastime on streaming outlets where it has never appeared before, and also on NBC for the first time in 26 years. ESPN has won rights to show out-of-market games that have traditionally been the province of MLB.TV as well as a package of midweek games. NBC will launch a new Sunday-night baseball franchise. And Netflix will carry the Home Run Derby, an exclusive opening night game and a revival of the Field of Dreams Game in 2026.

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“Our new media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix provide us with a great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment, and marquee events,” said Robert D. Manfred, Jr., the MLB Commissioner, in a statement. “Following our last World Series game that averaged more than 51 million viewers globally, these partnerships build on MLB’s growing momentum that includes generational stars setting new standards for excellence, new rules which have improved the game on the field, and increases in important fan engagement metrics like viewership, attendance, participation and social media consumption. We’re looking forward to tapping into the unique areas of expertise that ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix each bring to the sport for the benefit of our fans.”

The new arrangements give MLB a new lifeline after ESPN earlier this year scrapped its current rights arrangement, which was to have lasted through 2029. But they also spread MLB games across a wider array of media outlets, a dynamic that may confuse fans, or prevent some die-hards from seeing at least some of their favorite games that will be shown on subscription-based streaming outlets. At the same time, MLB has some new wind at its back: one of the most-watched World Series in the recent history of the game.

MLB was forced to devise new plans, especially as ESPN complained about the value of smaller deals struck by the league with Roku and Apple. ESPN had been paying around $550 million per year for its MLB rights, and is expected to be paying a similar amount for the new package.

Under terms of the new deal, ESPN gains sway over a hundreds of lucrative games that had previously been sold via MLB.TV. Starting in 2026, fans will be able to purchase games outside of their home territory through ESPN. What’s more, ESPN has rights to show a package of 30 national games on its linear networks and its app. ESPN also has rights to Memorial Day game coverage as well as the second-half opener following the All-Star Game. ESPN will stream more than 150 out-of-market games, one per day, via the ESPN app.

Additionally, ESPN has acquired exclusive, local in-market streaming rights for a pack of teams including the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. 

“This fan-friendly agreement allows us to showcase the great sport of baseball on both a local and national level, while prioritizing our streaming future,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, in a statement. “MLB.TV is a coveted, must-have companion for passionate MLB fans all over the country, and it will be strongly complemented by our national game package and in-market team rights — all within the ESPN App.”

NBCUniversal will launch a new “Sunday Night Baseball” franchise, giving it year-round sports programming on Sunday nights that also includes NBA and NFL games. NBC gains access to all four Wild Card series of the postseason, and the games will appear across NBC, Peacock and the new NBCSN cable network. Additionally, NBCU will regain rights to a package of 18 games that start prior to or around Noon locally on Sundays and will also be simulcast on NBCSN.

NBC and Peacock will be able to televise part of the MLB Draft in 2026, when it will move to the Saturday of All-Star Week. NBC and Peacock also will present the Futures Game, a game featuring top players in Minor League Baseball, and that game will be followed by a new event that will be streamed on Peacock and feature former players and celebrities.

NBCU is believed to be paying $200 million per year for the new rights contract.

“We are excited to welcome Major League Baseball back to the NBC Sports family as we showcase the best in the game with Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock, the first game of the day on most Sunday mornings exclusively on Peacock and NBCSN, and the full Wild Card round across NBC, NBCSN and Peacock,” said Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, in a statement.

Netlfix, which has been focusing more intently on sports and live programming in recent months, will open the MLB season the next three years with an exclusive Opening Night game on the evening prior to the full slate of traditional Opening Day games. The streaming giant will also air the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on the day before the All-Star Game. In 2026, Netflix will air the Field of Dreams Game from Dyersville, Iowa on August 13 — a return to the setting for the first time in four years. Netflix will also stream a special event game each year.

“We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Major League Baseball,” said Bela Bajaria, chief content officer of Netflix, in a statement. “We started with critically-acclaimed documentaries, deepening the existing global passion for baseball. Now, we are seizing that moment by bringing massive cultural spectacles—from Opening Night to the Home Run Derby—directly to our members, reinforcing Netflix as the ultimate home for both the story and the sport.”

Fox Sports keeps its rights to show national games on Saturdays, along with the World Series, the All-Star Game and post-season games. Warner’s TBS keeps its Tuesday-night games package and its post-season rights. Apple will continue to stream Friday-night doubleheaders.