Play Ball: MLB Scores $2.4B Three-Year Media Deals With ESPN, NBC, Netflix

By Barry Janoff

November 19, 2025: Describing it as a “great opportunity to expand our reach to fans through three powerful destinations for live sports, entertainment, and marquee events,” MLB today unveiled three-year media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix.

The agreements will cover rights for the 2026-2028 MLB seasons and will impact the way people can access high-profile games and jewel events. 

They extend MLB and ESPN’s long-term relationship to 39 consecutive seasons, mark the return of NBC to regularly airing MLB games on its broadcast network for the first time in 26 years, and expand Netflix’s partnership with MLB from original programming to live baseball event coverage for the first time.

Financial terms were not shared. 

According to industry analysts, the three deals combined were put at $2.4 billon, averaging about $800 million per year. ESPN will continue to pay $550 million for a revamped package, the NBC deal was put at $200 million annually and Netflix $50 million.

“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,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said via the league.

“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.”

Among numerous significant changes, Sunday Night Baseball moves from ESPN (which had aired it since 1990), to NBCUniversal platforms.

NBCU gets the rights to Sunday Leadoff and the playoff Wild Card Series in the postseason.

The T-Mobile Home Run Derby movies from ESPN to Netflix. Netflix also gets an Opening Night exclusive and such jewel  events as the 2026 MLB at Field of Dreams Game and the World Baseball Classic in Japan.

In 2026, NBCUniversal will gain a presence during All-Star Week. The MLB Draft will move to the Saturday of All-Star Week where NBC and Peacock will present the first hour of the event. Peacock/NBCSN and MLB Network will carry the remainder of the first round.

NBC and Peacock also will present the Futures Game, featuring top players in Minor League Baseball on All-Star Sunday. That game will be followed by a new event that will feature former players and celebrities, which will be streamed on Peacock.

Peacock will regain rights to MLB’s Sunday Leadoff game, which it carried for the 2022-23 seasons. 

ESPN will receive a national 30-game package thru the season available exclusively on ESPN’s linear networksand the ESPN app.

ESPN has secured the rights to sell and distribute MLB.TV, the league’s out-of-market streaming service, across its digital and streaming platforms.

ESPN will have rights to Memorial Day game coverage and the second half opener coming out of the All-Star break, which in 2026 will feature the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the New York Mets as the only game scheduled on July 16.

ESPN also will continue to carry the Little League Classic presented by New York Life, which in 2026 will have he Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers Aug. 23 from Williamsport, PA, home of the Little League World Series.

In addition, ESPN will stream more than 150 out-of-market games, one per day, via the ESPN app.

With the new media deals, Fox/FS1 will continue to be the home of the World Series presented by Capital One, League Championship and Division Series presented by Booking.com, All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, regular season games primarily on Saturdays, World Baseball Classic, and special event games.

TBS will continue to be the home of League Championship and Division Series presented by Booking.com telecasts, plus regular-season games on Tuesday nights.

Apple TV will continue to stream Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders throughout the regular season.

MLB Network will continue to air live games, including its “Showcase” package and its Emmy Award-winning studio shows.

“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,” Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN chairman, said via the network.

“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.”

This partnership marks the first media rights agreement between MLB and NBCU since the network last carried games on a regular basis in 2000 (NBC aired one game each in 2022 and 2023 as a lead-in to the Sunday leadoff package on Peacock).

The new deal also brings regular season and post-season games to NBCSN (NBC Sports’ new cable network) and Peacock’s streaming service 

“We are excited to welcome Major League Baseball back to the NBC Sports family,” Rick Cordella, president, NBC Sports, said via the network.

“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.”

Following a series of baseball documentaries, Netflix will air live events and games for both MLB globally and, as previously announced, the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Japan.

Netflix will open the MLB season the next three years with a singular game on Opening Night, the evening prior to a full slate of traditional Opening Day games; as well as the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams live from Dyersville, Iowa Aug. 13.

In 2026, MLB’s return to the iconic movie set for the first time in four years will feature the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.

“We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Major League Baseball,” Bela Bajaria, chief content officer, said via Netflix.

“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.”

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