Key Points:
- NBC Universal is nearing a three-year deal worth about $200 million annually to air Sunday night baseball on NBC and stream additional games on Peacock.
- Netflix is in advanced talks for exclusive rights to the Home Run Derby through 2028, a package valued at more than $35 million a year.
- ESPN is negotiating a new rights deal that could integrate MLB.TV into its direct-to-consumer service, though current tensions with the league mean its existing $550 million deal ends after 2025.
Comcast’s NBC Universal and Netflix are in advanced discussions to bring Major League Baseball to their broadcast and streaming platforms, according to a report on Thursday.
The report, from the Wall Steret Journal, said NBC Universal is closing in on a three-year deal valued at nearly $200 million per year to carry games on its broadcast network NBC and on streamer Peacock.
Under the proposal, NBC would air Sunday night baseball during the period between football and basketball seasons, with additional games available on Peacock, the Journal said. Peacock has leveraged sports programming as a way to entice subscribers and justify price increases over the past few years.
Netflix is interested in securing rights to the annual Home Run Derby, which currently airs on ESPN. The agreement, expected to be worth more than $35 million annually, would run through 2028, the Journal reported.
Talks between the league and the media companies remain ongoing, and the deals have not been finalized. The Journal said the outcome of each deal could wind up being more expensive than previously reported if NBC Universal or Netflix demand additional elements. The reporting was based on unnamed sources.
Disney’s ESPN is also in advanced discussions with the league, according to reports. Executives have signaled interest in a package that incorporates MLB TV (stylized as MLB.TV), the league’s out-of-market streaming service, into ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer product. Sources said the ESPN agreement could include local in-market rights and select national broadcasts, though final terms are still under negotiation.
Yahoo Sports first reported on Wednesday that discussions between ESPN and MLB had moved into an advanced stage. Apple, which was an early contender for some baseball games being vacated by ESPN through its existing rights package, has since withdrawn its interest.
Live sports have become a priority for media companies as they grapple with declining audiences on linear television and seek growth opportunities for streaming platforms. Baseball does not carry the same prestige as the NFL or NBA, but playoff games remain a reliable draw for advertisers and audiences alike.
ESPN has been Major League Baseball’s longest-running broadcast partner. Its current rights deal, worth $550 million annually from 2026 to 2028, includes 30 regular-season games, the Home Run Derby, and the Wild Card playoff round. But tensions have surfaced between the league and the network.
Earlier this year, the Journal reported ESPN was seeking to cut its rights fees, prompting both sides to announce the partnership would end after the 2025 season. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred criticized the network for what he described as “the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”
—
Read more:
