US EditionHow MLB's Upcoming Deals Will Change How You Watch Out-of-Market, Sunday Night and Wild Card Games
Major League Baseball aims to maximize value by repackaging rights after ESPN opts out, with NBCU's $200 million annual deal and Netflix acquiring Home Run Derby rights.
- All sides hope to finalize deals by next month as Major League Baseball parcels out its schedule among NBCUniversal, Netflix and ESPN, which opted out of the final three years in February.
- Amid RSN erosion and collapsed local deals, regional sports networks' decline and the five clubs' failed local broadcasts pushed MLB to intervene, while ESPN accused MLB of undercutting games by selling packages to Apple and Roku.
- NBCUniversal is negotiating a multiyear deal to carry Sunday games on NBC and Peacock, Netflix targets the Home Run Derby as a one-off event, and the Wild Card round plus other regular-season components are under parallel talks with multiple platforms.
- ESPN will remain involved in a new shape, gaining the MLB.TV out-of-market package for its direct-to-consumer service, plus in-market rights for five clubs and some nationally exclusive games.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred is positioning MLB for a national rights push ahead of 2029, with existing Fox deals averaging $729 million annually and a potential lockout after 2026 expected.
24 Articles
24 Articles
The Times of Northwest Indiana
How MLB's upcoming deals will change how you watch out-of-market, Sunday night games
ESPN is nearing a deal with Major League Baseball to distribute out-of-market games. This comes after ESPN opted out of its previous contract with MLB in February.
MLB’s upcoming deals will change how viewers watch games
When ESPN opted out of its contract with Major League Baseball in February, the network was hoping to get a reworked package at a lower cost while Commissioner Rob Manfred thought the sport could optimize its rights in the short term for Home Run Derby and Wild Card round. Read more...
How MLB’s upcoming deals will change how you watch out-of-market, Sunday night and Wild Card games
When ESPN opted out of its contract with Major League Baseball in February, the network was hoping to get a reworked package at a lower cost while Commissioner Rob Manfred thought the sport could optimize its rights in the short…
Associated Press News
How MLB's upcoming deals will change how you watch out-of-market, Sunday night and Wild Card games
ESPN is nearing a deal with Major League Baseball to distribute out-of-market games. This comes after ESPN opted out of its previous contract with MLB in February.
How MLB's Upcoming Deals Will Change How You Watch Out-Of-Market, Sunday Night and Wild Card Games
When ESPN opted out of its contract with Major League Baseball in February, the network was hoping to get a reworked package at a lower cost while Commissioner Rob Manfred thought the sport could optimize its rights in the short term for Home Run Derby and Wild Card round.
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